
Book i Ju" 73 

\ a x Oh 



\Doiv^Ms\^&U 




L^ 






STUDIES IN THE 
LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST 



Studies in the 
Life of Jesus Christ 



By 
EDWARD I. BOSWORTH 



New York 

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF 

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS 

1906 



BTsoi 
■&73 

not 



Copyright, ipo^, by 

The International Committee of 

Young Men's Christian Associations 

Transfer from 
U. S. Soldier's Home Uby* 
Oct.28a931 



Preface 



THIS book is designed to introduce the student to the inductive 
study of the life of Jesus Christ. It therefore takes up one by 
one the four accounts of the life of Jesus that have come down 
to us from apostolic days. It has seemed best for the purpose in 
hand to take these four Gospels up separately, rather than in the form 
of a Harmony, because it is only through the study of them as separate 
wholes that the individuality of each can be adequately appreciated. 
A further reason for such treatment is the fact that there is already 
published an exceedingly useful course based upon a Harmony. 

The Gospel of Mark, now generally recognized as the oldest, and 
certainly the simplest of the four Gospels, will be made the basis of the 
study in Part I. This Gospel will be studied in detail, with only occa- 
sional references to the other three Gospels for supplementary matter. 
Briefer surveys of Matthew and Luke will be taken with the purpose of 
discovering their individual characteristics. Last of all, in Part II 
John's Gospel will be studied at some length. The Gospel of Mark 
will by this arrangement serve as a standard for purposes of compari- 
son in the study of the other Gospels. This emphasis of Mark is also 
desirable for another reason, namely, that Mark's Gospel consists of 
narrative, rather than teaching, and since the teaching of Jesus 
receives special attention in the last course in the College Cycle, 
"Studies in the Teaching of Jesus and His Apostles," it is desirable in 
the present course to pay attention chiefly to the narrative. 



PART I 

Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ as Pre- 
sented in the Synoptic Gospels 

i. Detailed Study of the. Life of Jesus Christ up to the Last 
Week, Chiefly According to Mark. Studies I-XI. 

2. General Survey of the, Life of Jesus Christ up to the Last 

Week, According to Matthew. Studies XII-XIII. 

3. Genera^ Survey of the Life of Jesus Christ up to the Last 

Week, According to Luke. Studies XIV-XVII. 

4.. Detailed Study of the Last Week of the Life of Jesus 
Christ, According to the Synoptic Gospels. Studies 
XVIII-XXIII. 



PART II 

Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ as 

Presented in John's Gospel. 

Studies XXIV-XXX 



PART I 

STUDIES IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST AS 
PRESENTED IN THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS 

i. Detailed Study of the Life of Jesus Christ up to 
the Last Week, Chiefly According to Mark. 
Studies I-XI 



Note 



In case a shorter course than one running through thirty weeks 
should be desired, attention is called to the fact that Studies I-XI, 
together with Studies XVIII-XXIII, constitute a complete course 
occupying seventeen weeks, based chiefly on the Gospel of Mark 
but making some use of Matthew and Luke. 

Studies XXIV-XXX, namely Part II, also constitute a complete 
course, based on the Gospel of John and occupying seven weeks. 
This latter course, however, is recommended as supplementary to 
the work in Part I rather than as an independent course. 



Introductory Note on Mark and his Gospel 

There is good reason for considering the Gospel According to Mark 
to be really Peter s Reminiscences of his Lord. The historian Eusebius, 
of Cssarea in Palestine, who died about 340 a.d., in Book III, chap- 
ter 39, of his Church History, quotes the following statement made by 
Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, who died probably be- 
tween 125 and 150 a.d.: "This also the presbyter said: Mark, having 
become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in- 
deed in order, whatsoever he remembered of the things said or done by 
Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but after- 
ward, as I said, he followed Peter, who adapted his teaching to the 
needs of his hearers^ but with no intention of giving a connected 
account of the Lord's discourses, so that Mark committed no error 
while he thus wrote some things as he remembered them. For he was 
careful of one thing, not to omit any of the things which he had heard 
and not to state any of them falsely." The "presbyter" whom 
Papias here quotes probably belonged to an older generation than that 
of Papias himself, and this testimony therefore is very early. If we 
assume that the work of Mark here referred to is our Gospel of Mark, 
we see what superior preparation Mark had for the composition of the 
Gospel. The quotation represents Peter to have had a series of anec- 
dotes regarding his Lord from which he made selection according to 
the varying needs of his hearers. Although Peter, as a native of bi- 
lingual Palestine, in addition to his vernacular Aramaic, probably 
knew also some Greek, he did not feel equal to making public addresses 
in Greek; just as many Americans who read German easily and have 
some conversational use of the language, would not think of delivering 
a public address in German. The most natural inference from the 
quotation is that Mark knew Greek better than Peter did and helped 
Peter in his work among Greek speaking peoples. Peter's anecdotal 
reminiscences may have taken a somewhat stereotyped oral form and 
been taught by Mark to classes of Peter's converts. This series of 
anecdotes Mark finally arranged in the order in which we now have 
them, and perhaps after introducing some other matter as a result of 
personal investigation, wrote them out in the Greek narrative which 



x Introductory Note on Mark and his Gospel 



has come down to us as the Gospel According to Mark. In this way 
the Spirit of God secured to the Christian church what Professor H. B. 
Swete aptly characterizes as the "primitive picture of the Incarnate 
Life," the Gospel which, though "the simplest of the books of the 
New Testament," nevertheless " brings us nearest to the feet of the 
Master." 

A few words about the personality of Mark himself may properly 
precede the study. John Mark was a Jerusalem boy whose mother, 
Mariam, was a well-to-do widow and a prominent woman among the 
Jerusalem Nazarenes, for it was in her commodious house that a large 
company of them were gathered to pray for Peter on the night before 
the day set for his execution. It was to this house on that night that 
Peter went as soon as he was released from prison (Acts 12 : 12). It 
has sometimes been conjectured that John Mark was the young man 
who was so aearly captured on the night of Jesus' arrest (Mark 14: 
51-52), and if so, that it was in his father's house that Jesus ate the 
Last Supper with the inner circle of His disciples. John Mark, there- 
fore, was acquainted as a boy with the information regarding Jesus 
current in the Jerusalem church. He had connection with the apos- 
tolic circle, not only as the special friend and protege of Peter, but also 
as the kinsman of Barnabas (Col. 4: 10) and as the associate of Paul. 
He traveled as a "minister" in the missionary campaign of Paul and 
Barnabas for a time, but abandoned them under circumstances that 
greatly annoyed Paul (Acts 12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:38-39). Later he 
traveled with Barnabas alone (Acts 15:39). Years afterward, during 
the last months of Paul's life, Paul wrote to one of his friends from 
prison: " Take Mark and bring him with thee: for he is useful to me 
for ministering " (II Tim. 4:11). Mark seems to have been a "use- 
ful" man, "useful" to Peter, to Paul, to Barnabas, to the converts 
whom he catechized, and finally, through his Gospel, to the whole 
church of God, though perhaps, as Professor Swete says, "not 
endowed with gifts of leadership." 

The ancient church believed that this Gospel was written in Rome 
and for the Roman church. That the Gospel was written for Gen- 
tiles and not for Jews is certainly evident from the passage 7:3-4. 
It is now generally thought to be the oldest of our four Gospels, and to 
have been put into its present form some time between 65 and 70 a.d. 



J/. 

Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study I. — preliminary Heading; of X%z Gospel Startling; to JHark 
First Day : Mark and his Gospel 

1. The Gospel of Mark is to be read through this week in portions 
assigned to each day, and an analysis of the narrative will be given in 
connection with this reading which will serve to show the progress of 
thought in the book and be the basis of the detailed study that is to 
follow the general reading. The Revised Version is recommended, 
and the "Twentieth Century New Testament" will often be found to 
be suggestive. The Gospel has so often been regarded as made up of 
disconnected sentences, each one numbered and thought of as suitable 
to serve as a text for a sermon, that the general sweep of the narrative 
as a whole may not have been noticed. 

The main purpose of the book and the progress of its thought will 
be noted at the end of the week after the book has been read through. 
The principal characteristics of the Gospel will appear as the study 
proceeds. It is sufficient here to call attention in a preliminary way 
simply to the vividness and simplicity of its descriptions. A few 
introductory words about book and author may properly precede the 
reading; read therefore at this point the "Introductory Note on Mark 
and his Gospel." 

2. The following is an outline of the Gospel showing the divisions 
and subdivisions that will be characterized and read during the week. 
Do not stop to examine it now, but refer to it during the week if you 
find it helpful. 



the 



Introduction : I : I 


- J 3- 




Galilee Instructing 

Twelve. 


I. 1:14-7:23, Jesus in 


Galilee as 


1. 7:24-30. 


Prophet-healer. 




2. 7:31-8:26. 


1. i:i4-45- 






3. 8:27-30. 


2. 2:1-3:6. 






4. 8:31-9:29. 


3- 3:7-4:34- 






5- 9:30-50. 


4- 4:35-5:43- 






6. 10:1-12. 


5. 6:1-56. 






7. 10:13-16. 


6. 7:1-23. 






8. 10:17-31. 

9. 10:32-45. 


II. 7:24-10:52, 


Jesus Outside 


10. 10:46-52. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



III. 11:1-15:47, The Last Week 9. 14:43-52. 

in Jerusalem. 10. 14:53-72. 

1. 11:1-11. II. 15:1-15. 

2. 11:12-25. 12. 15:16-20. 

3. 11:27-12:12. 13. 15:21-47. 

4. I2:l3-44- 

5. 13:1-37. IV. 16, The Resurrection. 

6. 14:1-11. 1. 16:1-8. 

7. 14:12-25. 2. 16:9-20. 

8. 14:26-42. 

3. The first verse is really the title, and might be printed on a page 
by itself. Now read 1:1-13, considering it to be. an introduction de- 
scribing very briefly the summons to repentance brought to the nation 
by John the Baptist, a rough prophet of the wilderness; Jesus' baptism 
with its inaugural vision announcing Him to be the Son of God; and 
His period of temptation as Son of God in the solitude of the wilderness. 

Personal Thought: The reverent student of life is frequently im- 
pressed by the casual way in which great events often occur or great 
careers begin. The Gospel of Mark seems to have come to the world 
through the medium of a comparatively commonplace man, in a some- 
what commonplace way, but none the less by the definite arrangement 
of God Himself. Commonplace daily life throbs with the life of God, 
and no commonplace man, doing commonplace duties, can tell at what 
moment the casual may become of world-wide significance. One's 
only safety lies in accepting every chance, and in "being steadily at 
his best." 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 3 



Study I. — ipreltnunarp Sealing; at tjje (55ospeI SUcorfcinrr to j[ftark 
Second Day: Mark 1:14-4:34 

Before reading regularly on in the Gospel, look briefly at the gen- 
eral trend of the first main division of the Gospel, I: 14-7:23. This 
you can do by quickly glancing at the passages parenthetically referred 
to in the following characterization of the division: 

Jesus appears in Galilee as a Prophet-healer Announcing 
the Nearness of the Kingdom of God (i : 14, 15, 32-34, 39) and 
Becomes very Popular among the People (i : 28, 45; 3: 7-12, 20, 32; 
4:1; 5: 21; 6:54-56); but He arouses the Bitter Hostility of 
the Religious Authorities because of His Peculiar Relig- 
ious Teaching and Practice (2: 16, 17, 24; 3: 6, 22; 7: 5). 

Read quite rapidly the first subdivision of the main division just 
described, namely, 1: 14-45 '■> m tne %h l °f t ^ xe following summary: 
"Jesus appears as a prophet-healer proclaiming the Kingdom of God, 
attaches four men to Himself, and is received by the Galileans with an 
enthusiasm that interferes with His public teaching. 

Read the second subdivision, namely, 2: 1-3:6, noting the following 
summary of its contents: Jesus begins to reveal peculiar religious 
views that arouse the suspicion and ultimately the violent opposition 
of the religious authorities of the nation. 

Read the third subdivision, namely, 3: 7-4:34, noting the following 
summary of its contents: In the face of the continued opposition of 
the religious leaders Jesus boldly begins to gather out of His large 
popular following an inner circle, the nucleus of which consists very 
significantly of twelve men, to whom He reveals by parables and private 
explanations certain secrets (^'mysteries") connected with the Kingdom 
of God. 

Note in writing the characteristics of Jesus that have impressed 
you in the reading thus far. 

Personal Thought: "He spake the word unto them as they were 
able to hear it" (4 : 33). New truth cannot be unloaded in an un- 
prepared mind like furniture in an empty house. Remember that 
what it took you a long time to understand and accept you cannot 
usually expect another to accept from you when you first attempt to 
share it with him. Be sure, too, that God has much to say to you 
that you are not yet able to hear. If we remember this we are often 
kept from intolerance and impatience. 






P /o 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study L— |)reltnunarp Heading; of tfje Gospel SUcortimjr to JHarit 
Third Day: Mark 4:35-7:23 

Remember that Jesus has gone boldly forward with the selection 
and training of the twelve men in spite of opposition on the part of the 
powerful rabbis. Read now the fourth subdivision of the first main 
division, namely, 4:35-5:43: Jesus performs four very startling 
wonders, three of them in the presence of the inner circle only. Is 
there anything in the character of these four wonders that at all 
differentiates them from those that have been previously mentioned ? 

Read the fifth subdivision, namely, 6 : 1-56: Jesus sends out the 
Twelve men to preach and heal in preparation for the coming Kingdom ; 
He feeds a great company, consisting of more than five thousand per- 
sons, with a few cakes and dried fish ; and His fame reaches both the 
royal court of Herod and the smaller country settlements. 

Read the sixth subdivision, namely, 7 : I_ 23-' A crisis is occasioned 
by the coming of a delegation of religious leaders from the capital city 
into the north country to inspect Jesus ; they complain that He is 
lax in advocating the observance of the sacred "tradition"; but they 
are vigorously and publicly attacked by Him with indignant sarcasm 
on the ground that the religious teaching of their professional "tradi- 
tion " is scandalously at variance with the law of God. 

Write out again to-day whatever characteristics of Jesus have 
impressed you in the reading. 

Personal Thought : "And they . . . said one to another, who 
then is this ?" (4:41). It is this question that men ever since have 
been asking. It was never asked more insistently than in our own 
critical yet eager generation. There is something about the person- 
ality of Jesus that compels men to keep on asking it. We do not ask, 
Who then was Julius Caesar f who then was Aristotle ? Let your aim 
in this study be to give some better answer to this question for your 
own faith. The question is not answered merely by applying a title 
to Jesus, but by finding something in His personality to which your 
personality responds with conviction and personal devotion. 

\ <-%}i,:- ! q GofiJ* 



VO*$ r^^^^^P^t^V^, 



% tit Cj W.t *d> MUtJU^JL^ 







Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study I. — fkeltminarp EeaUtnff of tfje (EJospcl SUcorUinj; to ;$$arit 
Fourth Day: Mark 7:24-9:29 

The second main division of the Gospel is 7:24-10:52. Before 
reading it by subdivisions take a general survey of its thought by 
rapidly glancing at the parenthetical references in the summary below. 

After His Decisive Break with the Rabbis (7 : 6-9), He 
stays for the most part outside of galilee (j : 24, 31; 8: 13, 27; 
10: 1) and Devotes Himself Largely to the Instruction of the 
Inner Circle of His Adherents (8: 15-21; 8:31-9: 1; 9:2-13, 30, 
31, 35-50; 10: 10, 23, 32, 42), who are now seen to regard hlm as 
the Messiah (8:27-30); He perplexes them by Predictions of 
His Death (8:31; 9:31) and by a Statement of Repellent 
Conditions of Discipleship (8:34; 9:45); He Starts for Jeru- 
salem (10: 32). 

Read the first subdivision, 7:24-30, in the light of the following 
summary: After a sharp break with the rabbis (7: 1-23) Jesus leaves the 
country and seeks seclusion in Syrian Phamicia, where He has a 
significant interview with a native of the country. 

Read the second subdivision, 7:31-8:26: Jesus goes south to the 
Galilean border, where, in consequence of His healing work, crowds 
begin to gather about Him, although He tries strenuously to keep 
His cures secret ; He feeds a great multitude with a few cakes and 
dried fish, and immediately after an ominously brief interview with 
the rabbis begins to express keen solicitude about the inner circle. 

Read the third subdivision, 8:27-30: Jesus leaves the country and 
goes far to the northeast with the inner circle ; here it becomes evident 
that, in spite of the opposition of the religious leaders, and in advance 
of the opinion of the friendly element in the nation, the inner circle 
regard him as the Messiah ; Jesus is gratified (cf. Matt. 16: 17-19), 
but requires that their opinion be kept secret. 

Read the fourth subdivision, 8:31-9:29 : The inner circle are per- 
plexed and offended by certain new and strange statements of Jesus 
regarding His prospective death and resurrection and regarding the 
hard conditions of discipleship ; at the end of a week three leaders 
privately have a wonderful experience with Him at night (cf. Luke 
9:32) on a mountain; He exhibits power over an especially obdurate 
case of demoniacal possession. 

Note the characteristics of Jesus that have appeared to-day. | 

Personal Thought: Mark 9: 24. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 






Study I.— preliminary Eeatotns of tlje (Sospcl StaorUinff to ^ftarfe 
Fifth Day: Mark 9:30-11:25 

Read rapidly the fifth subdivision of the second main division, 
namely, 9 : 30-50: Jesus returns secretly to Galilee and devotes Himself 
to the Twelve, repeating His perplexing statements regarding His death 
and resurrection ; He tells them that the continuance of their ambitious 
temper will send them to the Gehenna of fire . 

Read the sixth subdivision, 10:1-12: Jesus temporarily resumes 
public teaching, this time to the southeast of Galilee, and surprises His 
disciples (cf. Matt. 19: 10) by the strictness of His teaching regarding 
marriage. 

Read the seventh subdivision, 10:13-16: Jesus surprises His dis- 
ciples by His teaching regarding the significance of child life. 

Read the eighth subdivision, 10:17-31: Jesus surprises His dis- 
ciples by His teaching regarding the ineligibility of the rich for en- 
trance into the coming Kingdom. 

Read the ninth subdivision, 10: 32-45: Jesus again speaks to the 
Twelve about His approaching death and resurrection but without effect. 

Read the tenth subdivision, IO : 46-52: In Jericho, fifteen miles 
from the capital, in the midst of a great crowd, Jesus gives sight to a 
blind beggar who begins the Messianic cry, and an enthusiastic pro- 
cession starts for the capital city. 

The third main division of the Gospel is 11 : 1-15: 47. Before read- 
ing it, if you have time, note its general trend by glancing at the 
parenthetical references in the following summary: 

The Final Week in Jerusalem, marked by the Continued 
Instruction of His Disciples (n:2ifF; 12:43,44; 13:1-4; 14: 

17-25), AND ALSO BY SHARP CONFLICTS WITH THE RELIGIOUS LEAD- 
ERS (11 : 27fF; 12 : 12; 12 : I3ff; 12 : i8fF; 12 : 35ff; 12 : 38-40), which 
Culminate in His Arrest, Trial and Execution for the Al- 
leged Blasphemy of Pretending that He is the Messianic Son 
of God (14: 61-64). 

Read the first subdivision of the third main division, namely, II : 
I-Ii: An enthusiastic procession brings Jesus into the capital city, as 
the Messiah. 

Read the second subdivision, II : 1 2-25 : Jesus expels the bazaar 
men from the temple colonnades, and the priestly custodians of the temple, 
alarmed by His boldness, join the rabbis in opposing Him ; He makes 
no effort to organize His popular following, but instead urges upon them 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



prayerful faith in God as the means by which the coming Kingdom is 
to be established ; by blighting a fig tree He dramatically shows them 
what faith in God can accomplish. 

Write out carefully a statement of the characteristics of Jesus 
revealed by this day's reading. If the same ones repeatedly occur, 
do not hesitate to note them, for such recurrence is of value to you 
in forming your conception of His character. 

Personal Thought: Our glad task is, by a process of unwearying 
experiment, to secure experience with the forces of the spiritual 
world and the laws of their action. The first experiments that are 
made may not be followed by conspicuous success, for they are often 
made unintelligently and with imperfect knowledge of the conditions 
of success. The first experiments of a beginner in an electrician's 
laboratory may be very disappointing, but he expects to keep at them 
until he learns how to succeed. Other experimenters, of established 
reputation, have attained results that make him sure that results can 
be attained. The church has yet to learn the possibilities of achieve- 
ment through an intelligent use of the prayer law. Enough has been 
accomplished by individual experimenters, and especially by the Great 
Man of Prayer, the great Specialist in the spiritual world, to warrant 
individuals in making a lifelong series of experiments. Have you ever 
studied the conditions of effective praying ? 

" Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer 
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore let thy voice 
Rise like a fountain for me night and day." 

— Tennyson, The Passing of Arthur. 

■ 

\ 



8 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study I. — preliminary Eteatring; of t\>t (0ospel gUcortJing to iftarfc 
Sixth Day: Mark 11:27-14:52 

Read the third subdivision of the third main division, 1 1 : 27-12: 12: 
The leading priests and rabbis, alarmed by the expulsion of the bazaar 
men from the temple colonnades, informally call yesus to account for 
His exercise of authority ; He in reply denounces them for their attitude 
towards John the Baptist, and in a parable solemnly warns them that their 
opposition to Himself will result in disaster to themselves and the nation. 

Read the fourth subdivision, 12: 13-44: The Pharisees and Sad- 
ducees (rabbis and priests) fail in three distinct efforts to discredit Jesus 
as a religious teacher; they are then themselves easily discredited as 
religious teachers by Jesus, who reveals their confused and inadequate 
Messianic conception ; Jesus then publicly criticizes them as religious 
hypocrites. 

Read the fifth subdivision, 13: 1-37 : Jesus startles the inner circle 
by announcing to them that the beautiful temple will be destroyed, and 
in a private conversation dicusses the time of this destruction and of His 
own Messianic demonstration. 

Read the sixth subdivision, 14:1-11: At a dinner party Jesus' is 
anointed by a woman, perhaps in loving personal anticipation of the 
public Messianic anointing which the inner circle anticipate will soon 
■occur, but to Jesus' mind the act suggests the very preparation of His 
body for the grave ; something in the incident moves one of the inner 
circle to propose to betray Him to the hostile religious authorities. 

Read the seventh subdivision, 14:12-25: At the Passover Supper 
Jesus speaks sorrowfully of treachery in the inner circle, and by two acts 
of most impressive symbolism pictures His death and hints at its deep 
significance. 

Read the eighth subdivision, 14 : 26-42: Jesus, absorbed in the thought 
of his impending death, tries to prepare the inner circle for it, and 
then goes alone to a garden where, in great mental distress, He prays to 
be spared, if possible, the experience that awaits Him. 

Read the ninth subdivision, 14 : 43-52: Judas, one of the inner circle, 
secures Jesus' arrest ; all the inner circle abandon Jesus. 

Note carefully as usual the characteristics of Jesus that have ap- 
peared to-day. 

Personal Thought: They had not yet seen the glorified Christian 
Messiah! Do we do better than they when it costs to be identified 
with Him ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study I. — preliminary EeaUtEff of t&c (Gospel &cc0tmins; to ^flarfe 
Seventh Day: Mark 14:53-16:20 

1. Read the tenth subdivision of the third main division, 14 : 53-72: 
Jesus is tried by the Sanhedrin with scandalous haste, and when the 
prosecution has failed to make its case, on His own confession that He 
considers Himself to be the Messiah, He is condemned to death as a 
blasphemer; the most prominent man in the inner circle denies ever 
having known Him. 

Read the eleventh subdivision, 15 : i-kl :j The Roman procurator, 
after some hesitation, endorses the death sentence. 

Read the twelfth subdivision, 15: 16-20: In a brief interval, when 
preparation for the crucifixion is being made, Jesus is left to be the vic- 
tim of the brutal horseplay of the entire cohort of soldiers stationed in the 
barracks. 

Read the thirteenth subdivision, 1 5 : 21-47: Jesus is crucified in the 
midst of the jeers of the religious leaders, and after only a few hours of 
suffering, to the amazement of the procurator, dies suddenly amid por- 
tentous phenomena ; He is placed in a sepulchre by a member of the 
Sanhedrin. 

2. The fourth main division is chapter 16: The Resurrection 
of Jesus, His Appearances to the Members of the Inner Circle, 
and Final Instructions to them. 

There are two subdivisions, the first of which is 16 : 1-8. Read it 
in the light of the following summary: The second day after the exe- 
cution friendly women come to the sepulchre to complete the burial, but 
do not find the body, and are told by a young man in white sitting in the 
sepulchre that Jesus has risen and will meet the inner circle in Galilee. 

The second subdivision is 16 : 9-20. It is thought by many to be a 
later ending and not to have been originally a part of this Gospel. 
Read it in the light of the following summary: Jesus appears to His 
disciples several times, and at His last appearance sends them out into 
the world to proclaim the gospel; He ascends into heaven, where He 
continues to co-operate with them. 

3. The main purpose and the progress of thought in the Gospel 
have now become reasonably clear. Jesus begins in Galilee as a great 
prophet-healer announcing the nearness of the Kingdom of God. He 
speaks with an authority and independence that arouse the bitter 
opposition of the rabbis. He is compelled to leave Galilee, and con- 



io Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



centrates attention upon Twelve of His disciples who accept Him as 
the Messiah. He comes at the end to Jerusalem, where He declares 
His conviction that He is the Messiah, and because of this declaration 
He is executed as a blasphemer. The third day after He rises from 
the dead. 

Write out a statement of the principal characteristics of Jesus 
revealed by the week's reading. 

"Contrast Christ's day with ours. . . . We are educated, 
enlightened by the best thought of the past, the surest knowledge of 
the present; but His were an uneducated people, hardly knew the 
schoolmaster, and where they did, received from him instruction that 
stunted rather than developed. We live in a present that knows the 
past and is enriched with all its mental wealth. . . . But Jesus 
lived in a present closed to every past, save the past of His own people. 
The common, home-born Jew knew the Gentile but to despise him; 
the wisdom of Greece and Rome was to him but foolishness, best un- 
known; while the light that streamed from his own Scriptures could be 
seen only through the thick dark horn of rabbinical interpretation. 
We live in times when the world has grown wondrously wide and open 
to man; when nations beat in closest sympathy with each other; when 
the thoughts of one people swiftly become those of another; when com- 
merce has so woven its fine network around the world that all its parts 
now feel connected and akin; but Jesus lived in a land which prided 
itself on its ignorance and hatred of the foreigner, where the thought of 
common brotherhood or kinship could only rise to be cast out and 
abhorred. In our day nature has been interpreted, the physical 
universe has become practically infinite in space and time, filling the 
soul with a sense of awe in its presence the earlier ages could not 
possibly have experienced; but in Christ's day and to His countrymen 
nature was but a simple thing, of small significance, with few mysteries. 
Ours is, indeed, a day that might well create a great man, a universal 
teacher, the founder of a new faith. Yet where is the person that 
thinks it possible for our historical conditions to create a Christ ? 
But if the creation of Christ transcends our historical conditions, was 
it possible to his own ? Or does He not stand out so much their 
superior as to be, while a child of time, the Son of the Eternal, the 
only Begotten who has descended to earth from the bosom of the 
Father, that He might declare Him?" — Fairbairn, "Studies in the 
Life of Christ." 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ n 



Study II.— ©toents $xnmtaintzl$ fjrmttnff tlje |Ju6Itc life of 
testis 

FlRST Day: The General Situation in Palestine 

N. B. — The value of these studies will be greatly increased if you keep a note-book 
and write out answers to the questions asked, as well as thoughts of your own that the 
studies may suggest. 

1. The Political Situation. — Read Luke 3 : 1-2. The Jews had been 
a part of the Roman Empire since 63 B. c, when the Romans, under 
Pompey, finding that the Sabbath-keeping Jews would not fight on the 
Sabbath day, raised their battering rams against the walls without risk 
on the Sabbath and captured the city (Josephus, Antiquities, 14:4:3). 
This capture of Jerusalem closed a century of struggle and inde- 
pendence in some respects the most brilliant of all Jewish history. 

The Romans governed the Jews through the Herods, a powerful 
family probably of Edomite origin (that is, descendants of Esau), who 
knew how to make themselves tolerable to the Jews and indispensable 
to the Romans. The most famous member of the family, Herod the 
Great, "the splendid Arab"— a man of strong passions, dark vices, and 
large executive ability — had died shortly after the birth of Jesus. 
When Jesus entered public life several members of this famous family 
were holding governorships in districts of Palestine, although Judea, 
in which Jerusalem was situated, was governed by Pontius Pilate, the 
Roman procurator. The Jews enjoyed a reasonable degree of self- 
government, although the Romans saw to it that the highest office in 
the nation, the high priesthood, which had earlier been hereditary and 
held for life, was now filled by their own nominees and held during the 
pleasure of the Roman authorities. 

2. The Religious Situation. — The Jews were specialists in religion; 
the rabbis and priests were their most prominent citizens. The Jews 
inhabiting Palestine at this time were descendants of the compara- 
tively small minority that had cared enough for religion to turn away 
from the business openings in Babylon and return from the Baby- 
lonian captivity to Jehovah's temple in Palestine. The centre of 
their religious system, at least in its popular aspects, had finally come 
to be the Messianic hope. It was expected that a king anointed of 
God would appear who should make them politically supreme in the 
world. He would found and administer "God's Kingdom," before 
which all other kingdoms would disappear or become subordinate. 
The Caesars would one day come to Jerusalem with tribute! This 



ii Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



hope gave the people life and vigor. Each springtime troops of 
pilgrims went singing up through the country to Jerusalem, looking 
askance at the Roman soldiers there and praying for the coming King- 
dom. To this coming Messiah every man looked for the realization 
of his ideal. The so-called "Pharisee" longed to see every Jew a 
scrupulous observer of Moses' Law; the Zealot highlander from Gali- 
lee longed to see the Roman out of the land; the average man longed 
for "better times," less work, better food and clothes and more of 
them; the Sadducean priests, whose chief interest was in the temple 
revenues, were probably satisfied with things as they were. 

3. The Industrial Situation. — Although the Palestinian Jews were 
a religious people, still, the money-making instinct which has been 
characteristic of the race in all ages, was strong in them. As will 
be seen later, Jesus had to make determined protest against this spirit 
which permeated even the religious leaders of the nation. Read Mark 
I2» 40; Luke 16 : 14; Matt. 6 : 19-24. All through the Gospels the 
hum of business is heard. The sower, the fisherman, the pearl mer- 
chant, the poor calculator who began to build and could not finish, 
the banker, the rich farmer, the steward, and the money-changer are 
figures that go busily about through the Gospel narrative. 

4. Greek Civilization. — Although the Jews had resisted the en- 
croachment of Greek life more successfully than most nations, still 
Greek language and customs had entered largely into Palestine. 
Greek, as well as Aramaic (the current dialect of Hebrew), was spoken 
in the land, and there was a theatre even in Jerusalem. Matt. 10: 5 is 
an allusion to the foreigner in Palestine. 

5. The Situation in the World. — This cannot be described here. 
It was a dark century. Slavery existed in brutal form, family life was 
decadent, human sympathy was meager, philosophers were pessimistic. 
In Palestine and in the world at large it was an age of highly developed 
selfishness. 

Personal Thought: It was God's plan to introduce into this dark, 
situation a single Life which, like a single clear true note, should draw 
all discordant elements into harmony. The New Order of things 
began with the introduction of that Life, its ideals and purposes. We 
instinctively date all events of human history with reference to the 
introduction of that Life; they happen either B.C. or a.d. Think 
to-day, and every day during this study, of your own relation to that 
Life. How ought it to affect your life to-day ? Read thoughtfully the 
first chapter of the First Epistle of John. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study II. — ©tents ^mmeUiatelp fjrecefcing; t&e fjablic life of 

SECOND Day: Early History of the Wilderness Prophet. Mark 
1:4; Luke 1:5-25, 57-8o 

The figure to which Mark first introduces us is a weird one. Read 
Mark 1 : 1-8. It looks at a distance like the figure of a dervish from 
the desert such as may sometimes be seen in the streets of Cairo or 
Jerusalem to-day. His uncut Nazirite's hair, destined one day to be 
clotted with his own life blood, grows long; his cloak is of coarse hair- 
cloth; a leather strap, not a sash, is around his waist, and he has 
adopted the diet of the ascetic of the desert. One is scarcely prepared 
for Jesus' estimate of him. Read it in Matt, n : 7-1 1. 

Read the account of his early history in Luke 1 : 5-25, 57-80, and 
answer this question: What were the principal formative influences of 
his boyhood and young manhood ? Luke 1:15 indicates that he was 
a Nazirite for life. Read Num. 6 : 1-8 to see what this involved. The 
death of his parents, so old at his birth, probably left him an orphan 
before he reached young manhood. Luke 1 : 65, 80 indicates a life in 
the wild country west of the Dead Sea. In this region were the great 
monastic farms of the strange white-cloaked brothers of the quiet life, 
the monks of Palestine called the Essenes. John may have been in- 
fluenced by them. His words in Luke 3:11 suggest the benevolences 
for which they were famous. 

During these years in the wilderness the mind of the young man 
seems to have been profoundly impressed by the Messianic visions of 
one of the great Hebrew prophets, for his sense of mission finally ex- 
pressed itself in a sentence from this great prophet. Read John 1 : 
19-23. He was a man of much prayer. Read Luke 5 : 33. Note in 
Luke 1 1 : iff what was secured for the Christian church by an appeal 
to John's practice in this particular. 

Probably John visited Jerusalem from year to year during this period 
and looked out with flashing eyes upon the religious sham and the 
brutal greed of the city's life, and returned to the desert to brood over 
what he had seen. 

Personal Thought: "And the child grew and waxed strong in 
spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel" 
(Luke 1 : 80). No man prepares for an emergency in a moment. 
What he is in an emergency is determined by what he has regularly 
been for a long time. What you were yesterday, and are to-day, is 
determining whether you will stand or fall in some future crisis. 



i4 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study II.— ©bents ^famrtJiatelp flJrmUtng; t&e fljuiltc life of 

Third Day: The Message of the Wilderness Prophet. Mark 
1:2-8; Matt. 3:1-12; Luke 3:3-18 

1. In the wilderness, as the months passed, there occurred a unique 
elemental experience; the Spirit of God met the spirit of a man and 
communicated to it a profound sense of mission. The sensitive spirit 
of the young prophet felt that the time for judgment was near and 
that the Messianic executant of Jehovah's wrath was on His way. In 
some vision of the night, perhaps, he saw a dove descending upon a 
man, and evermore looked for this sign in identification of the Mes- 
siah. A hint as to his psychological history during these weeks is 
found in John 1 : 31-34. Finally, equipped only with his vision and 
conviction, he emerged from the wilderness to see if he could not stir 
the hearts of men and move the nation to prepare for judgment by 
being washed in the baptismal waters of repentance. Travelers com- 
ing up to Jerusalem brought tidings of an eccentric man in the Jordan 
valley proclaiming that God's Kingdom was at hand. The prophets 
had often been eccentric men in dress and behavior. Moreover, 
every one expected Elijah to appear before Jehovah's judgment-day 
(Mai. 4 : 5, 6; Mark 9:11), and this man was like Elijah in the stern 
character of his message and in his dress (II Kings 1 : 8, R.V. margin). 
Furthermore it was in the Jordan valley where the rough prophet was 
now preaching that Elijah had disappeared (II Kings 2 : 8-12). No 
wonder that these excitable Jews rushed to the Jordan valley and that 
a group of enthusiastic young men gathered about the prophet. For 
evidence of this see John 1 : 35; Mark 2 : 18. 

2. The prophet's message was first of all the nearness of the Mes- 
sianic judgment. The keeper of the orchard had laid his axe down 
for a moment at the root of the tree while he inspected its twigs to see 
whether or not it was dead; the farmer had lifted the winnowing 
shovel to begin to separate the wheat from the chafF (Matt. 3 : 10-12). 
How every man in the crowd must have looked at his neighbor when 
he heard the startling words reported in John I : 26! In view of the 
impending judgment John the Baptist called upon men to repent of the 
great national vices. What were these vices ? Read Luke 3: 7-14 to 
ascertain. His message did not consist merely in threatening doom. 
It had its glad side. Read Luke 3: 18. 

He spoke with depreciation of his own baptism; it was only pre- 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



liminary and symbolical of the real experience which the Messiah 
himself would give them. He would purify not their bodies but their 
spirits through association with God's own Spirit (Mark I : 8). On 
the other hand the fiery wrath which He would visit upon the wicked 
would be felt in fact and not merely in prophetic word (Matt. 3 : 11). 

3. After a time men were tempted to believe that perhaps John the 
Baptist himself was the Messiah. The delegation from Jerusalem 
felt that this was a possible hypothesis (John 1 : 19-20). John's own 
disciples found it especially hard to give up the hope that he would 
turn out to be the Messiah (John 3: 26-28). But the early church as- 
signed to him his true position. In Mark 1 : 2-3, and in both of the 
other Synoptic Gospels, this position is recognized and described in 
prophetic language. He was like the herald who goes beforehand 
through the wilderness shouting to the people to build a road on 
which the coming king and his retinue may travel. The people must 
level mountains, fill up valleys, make crooked paths straight and 
rough ways smooth. Read the full quotation of Is. 40 : 3-5 in Luke 
3:4-6. Mark 1 : 2 adds a sentence from Mai. 3:1. Like the person 
described in the prophecy, this young prophet cried in the wilderness 
to the nation to prepare by repentance for the coming of Jehovah's 
Messiah. 

Personal Thought: "He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit" (Mark 
1:8); that is, Jesus the Messiah will introduce His disciples into a per- 
sonal relationship to the Spirit of the unseen God, which will do for 
their spirits what John's baptismal water did for their bodies, namely, 
make them clean. A cleaning up of the human spirit is to be accom- 
plished through intimate association with the Spirit of God. This was 
the great, glad message of the wilderness prophet. A clean-spirited 
man is a man whose spirit is increasingly honest, kind, and peaceful. 
Without overdoing introspection, stop to ask yourself whether you 
are being baptized each day by Jesus in the Holy Spirit of the unseen 
God; whether you are more honest, kind, and peaceful than you were 
a year ago. 



1 6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study II.— ©tents Srametiiatelp fjrece&ing; t&e public life at 

2festtB! 
Fourth Day: Early Years of Jesus in Nazareth. Luke 2:39-52 

1. Ascertain from Luke 3: 23 how old Jesus was when He emerged 
from private life. Note in Mark 1 : 9 where Jesus had lived before His 
public life began, and in Mark 6 : 3 what He had been doing there. 
Matt. 13 : 55 adds an interesting circumstance. That Jesus took his 
trade seriously is evident from the fact that in important crises of His 
life He instinctively reverted to the phraseology of His trade. Note, 
for instance, the language of the "builder" in Matt. 16 : 18. By this 
trade He supported His mother, and for a time probably also some of 
His six or more (Mark 6: 3) brothers and sisters. The fact that His 
father is not mentioned in this last reference seems to indicate that he 
was no longer living. That Jesus' father was a man of moderate 
means seems to be indicated by Luke 2: 22-24 (cf. Levit. 12: 8), and 
perhaps also by the frequent incidental evidences in Jesus' teaching of 
first-hand acquaintance with the details of the life of the poor. Per- 
haps Mark 2:21 was a reminiscence of his own boyhood. The prob- 
lem of His mother's support was one of His concerns even on the 
cross. Read John 19 : 26-27. 

2. Jesus' education in Nazareth had probably been that of the ordi- 
nary boy. He had received home instruction in the Scriptures; the 
family would have been particularly interested in the exploits of their 
royal ancestor David, although royalty had been so long decadent that 
their royal descent probably gave them no more than a little local pres- 
tige. Jesus had been at school in the synagogue as a boy and had ex- 
perienced the educational influence of the Sabbath synagogue services. 
That Jesus' education had not included technical training in the 
school of any great rabbi is evident from John 7: 15, where "letters" 
means literature. 

The country about Nazareth was in its educational influence his- 
torically for a Jewish boy much what the country about Boston is for 
an American boy. If the village teacher was a man of any imagination 
he must have spent afternoons of rare interest with his schoolboys on 
the Nazareth hilltops. "You cannot see from Nazareth the sur- 
rounding country, for Nazareth rests in a basin among hills; but the 
moment you climb to the edge of this basin, which is everywhere 
within the limit of the village boys' playground, what a view you have! 
Esdraelon lies before you with its twenty battle-fields — the scenes of 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 17 



Barak's and of Gideon's victories, the scenes of Saul's and of Josiah's 
defeats, the scenes of the struggles for freedom in the glorious days of 
the Maccabees. There is Naboth's vineyard and the place of Jehu's 
revenge upon Jezebel; there Shunem and the house of Elisha; there 
Carmel and the place of Elijah's sacrifice. To the east the Valley of 
Jordan with the long range of Gilead; to the west the radiance of the 
Great Sea, with the ships of Tarshish and the promise of the Isles. 
You see thirty miles in three directions. It is a map of Old Testament 
history. But equally full and rich was the present life on which the 
eyes of the boy Jesus looked out. . . . For all the rumor of the 
Empire entered Palestine close to Nazareth — the news from Rome 
about the Emperor's health, about the changing influence of the great 
statesmen, about the prospects at court of Herod, or of the Jews ; 
about Caesar's last order concerning the tribute, or whether the policy 
of the Procurator would be sustained. ... A vision of all the 
kingdoms of the world was as possible from this village as from the 
mount of temptation." — George Adam Smith, Historical Geography 
of the Holy Land, pp. 433, 434, 435. 

3. The years in Nazareth must have been years in which were 
formed the habits that characterized Jesus in His public life. That 
such real development took place seems evident from Luke 2 : 40, 52. 
Here was developed His love of nature which is so evident in the par- 
ables and other illustrations used in his later teaching. What in- 
stances of this occur to you ? Perhaps on the Nazareth hills was 
formed the habit indicated in Luke 6: 12; 9: 28. Here was developed 
that passionate interest in ordinary individual men and women which 
was so conspicuous later (cf. John 4:7, 27-34). During these years 
He must have thought profoundly regarding the Kingdom of God, 
for He came to the nation with a new conception of the Kingdom. 
The only glimpse we have of His boyhood life shows that He was 
becoming conscious of a unique relationship to God. Read Luke 2: 
41-52. 

Personal Thought: We may say reverently that home life afforded 
Jesus a large part of His personal preparation for His Messianic work. 
Home life is an invention devised by the ingenuity of God for the de- 
velopment of character. In a good home one begins to learn how to 
treat a father and a brother, and he who learns how to treat his 
Heavenly Father and his human brothers has learned how to live. 
If you still have home ties, think to-day of your own home life and 
whether you are doing your part in making it what it ought to be. 



1 8 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study II. — ©bents ^faweiiatelp IJrece&intr tfje fjttblic life of 



Fifth Day: The Baptism of Jesus with its Inaugural Vision. 
Mark 1:9-11; Matt. 3: 13-17; Luke 3:21-22 

Rumors of what was going on in the Jordan valley reached 
Nazareth. Perhaps in the cool of the day from the Nazareth hilltop 
Jesus often looked down the green valley of Jezreel towards the Jordan. 
There came a day when He put His shop in order, looked back upon it 
from the door for the last time, and joined the crowds listening to the 
fiery appeals of the wilderness prophet. Is it probable that John 
the Baptist and Jesus were acquainted ? Note the evidence in Luke 
1 : 39-56. John 1 : 33 indicates that John the Baptist did not know that 
Jesus was the Messiah, but not necessarily that he did not know Him 
personally. Read Matt. 3: 13-14. Does this mean that John already 
recognized in Jesus the Messiah before the baptism, or simply that he 
knew Him to be an exemplary young man not needing to repent of any 
one of the national vices against which he was himself preaching, one 
by whom he might himself properly be baptized, rather than one 
whom he might baptize ? It is difficult to understand the argument in 
Matt. 3: 15 by which Jesus overcame John's unwillingness. Perhaps 
to Jesus' mind baptism was the identification of Himself with the 
nation, an act expressing His readiness to take His place humbly 
among those who looked for the coming of the Kingdom. He would 
accept the rite that all who aspired to the righteousness of the King- 
dom observed. 

Jesus had an inaugural vision, as great prophets often did (Is. 6: 
1-8; Jer. 1:4-12; Ezek. 1:28; 2:2). Can you tell from Mark 1:9-11 
whether John the Baptist also saw the vision and heard the voice? 
Note the representation of Matt. 3:17 (where John the Baptist seems 
to be addressed), and John 1 : 32-33. The subsequent narrative 
makes it practically certain that the people in general did not witness 
this phenomenon. 

Luke 3: 21 adds an interesting detail regarding Jesus' state of mind 
during this experience. Interesting questions arise here which sug- 
gest profitable subjects for reflection, though you may not be able to 
answer them satisfactorily: What actually happened in the personal 
religious life of Jesus when the "Spirit descended upon Him"? 
What significance is there in the fact that the Spirit came in the form 
of a dove? If the dove symbolized peace, harmlessness, purity, con- 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 19 



sider to what extent such symbolism would agree with John the 
Baptist's previous conception of Messiahship. 

The expression "Son of God" was a Messianic title, and the voice 
from heaven therefore declared Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah. 
The sentence might well be translated, "In thee have I been well 
pleased." The statement might then be regarded as a verdict of 
approval upon the thirty years of life in Nazareth, and was calculated 
to preclude the idea that Jesus' baptism was in any sense a confession 
of sin. 

Personal Thought : "Thou art my beloved Son." When the heavens 
opened to the earth, this voice from the invisible world at once gave 
assurance that the Great Unseen is capable of love. It is neither im- 
personal force, nor malignant personality, that invisibly animates all 
things. As you go out to-day, look sometimes into the sky and think 
of the love of God. 

"And I have felt 
A presence that disturbs me with the joy 
Of elevated thoughts ; a sense sublime, 
Of something far more deeply interfused, 
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, 
And the round ocean and the living air, 
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man; 
A motion and a spirit, that impels 
All thinking things, all objects of all thought, 
And rolls through all things." 

Wordsworth, Tintern Abbey. 



2o Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study II. — ©nents 2Nme&tateIp preceding; t&e flttMtc life of 

Sixth Day: The Temptation of the Son of God. Mark 1:12-13; 
Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13 

1. Read Mark 1:12-13, and the more extensive account in Matt. 
4: i-ii. The parallel account in Luke 4: 1-13 presents the tempta- 
tions in another order. According to Mark 1:12, the conviction that 
God would have Him be alone in the wilderness formed itself in the 
mind of Jesus. What considerations the Spirit of God used to pro- 
duce this conviction we can glean from hints in the longer narratives of 
Matthew and Luke. It is significant that the arguments with which 
Jesus resisted temptation are all drawn from the same section of the 
Hebrew Scripture. They are Deut. 8:3; 6 : 16; 6 : 13. It is fair to 
suppose that the general section of the Scripture in which these pas- 
sages occur had been the subject of Jesus' recent study, and it is very 
significant that this general section presents Moses' ideal of national life, 
given to the people just before they crossed the Jordan. Read Deut. 
4:44-46; 5:1; 6:1. Moses calls attention to the fact that he received 
the essential features of this ideal of national life during a period of 
fasting that lasted forty days and forty nights (Deut. 9:9-11). It was 
natural, therefore, for Jesus to do as Moses had done and seek a definite 
ideal of national life in the new Kingdom during a fast of forty days 
and forty nights. This becomes much more evidently natural when it 
is remembered that the Messiah was sometimes thought of as a second 
Moses. Read Deut. 18: 17-19; Acts 3 : 22-23. 

The question before Jesus evidently was this: What should be His 
Messianic ideal ? What kind of Kingdom would His Father have Him 
establish ? Consider just here the following questions : What is temp- 
tation ? Was there real temptation here ? Remember that the his- 
tory of Jesus' experience at this time could have become known only 
through His own report of it, and consider the bearing of this fact upon 
the question of the reality of this temptation. 

2. Jesus' later teaching reveals the fact that He was in the habit of 
presenting His thought in enigmatic and parabolic form. This is evi- 
dently the case in His report of these temptations. What did the first 
temptation really consist in ? What was it that He felt tempted to do, 
but decided not to do ? The answer to this question is best discovered 
by noticing the character of His answer, for His answer will reveal the 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ i\ 



point at which the temptation really touched Him. His answer shows 
that He felt tempted to consider the life of man as consisting in some- 
thing else than words from God's mouth (Matt. 4:4), that is, some- 
thing else than friendly intercourse with God. He felt tempted to 
make the life of the new Kingdom consist in physical comforts for dis- 
tressed men. Jesus' strongly sympathetic nature suffered when He 
saw hungry people. Read, for instance, Mark 8:2. He must have 
been strongly tempted, as the Messiah, to give instantaneous relief to 
all the hungry and all the suffering, but He saw that God's ideal for 
His Kingdom was a higher one. It involved the bringing of men into 
friendly intercourse with God, no matter how long it might take, and 
in this way securing a race of brotherly men among whom there would 
be no longer hunger and suffering. He would not simply treat the 
symptoms of the disease, but would by a longer process remove the 
deep-seated disease that caused the symptoms. His temptation, 
then, was not simply to satisfy His own hunger. But if He could not 
be trusted to keep from turning stones into bread for Himself when 
hungry, much less could He be trusted to keep from doing this to 
satisfy the hunger of others. The supreme aim of His Kingdom 
should be, not first and chiefly physical comforts for men, though 
these were involved ("not by bread alone"). He did sometimes give 
bread to the hungry, and He healed the sick to show that physical 
comforts were to be incidental features of the New Order. But the 
supreme feature of the Kingdom and the source of all other features 
would be friendship with God and man. There should be a race of 
brotherly sons of God. 

Personal Thought : If you had Messianic power what would you 
make your life consist in ? In your anticipation of life is it friendships, 
or a comfortable home and plenty of physical comforts to which you 
find yourself looking forward ? 



ii Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study II.— ©bents ^fameUtatelp fJmeUmg; tjje |)ttblic life of 

Seventh Day: The Temptation of the Son of God (concluded). 
Mark 1:12-13; Matt. 4: 1-11; Luke 4:1-13 

1. Jesus reported that He was for a time tempted in another way to 
adopt a Messianic policy different from the one given Him by His 
Father. Read Matt. 4 : 5-7. What Jesus was here tempted to do 
would have appealed powerfully to the nation. To have appeared 
before them at the center of national worship with dash and brilliance, 
miraculously set down among them by Jehovah Himself, in Jehovah's 
courts, would have been to secure instantaneous acceptance. That 
which Jesus felt would have been wrong in this course is indi- 
cated by the character of His reply. It would have been pushing 
ahead of God to test Him and see how far God would sustain Him in 
making unbidden Messianic demonstrations. Instead, Jesus felt that 
the only course for Him was to wait for God to take the initiative. 
As the Gospel narrative goes on it becomes evident that God had not 
planned to have His Messiah rely on official prestige to win a follow- 
ing; for many months He carefully concealed His Messiahship from 
the nation. He did, however, slowly reveal certain qualities of per- 
sonal character that have commanded the attention of men ever since. 
He became a revelation of God that the world has never exhausted. 
If the leap from the temple top to the pavement had been the demon- 
stration of His Messiahship, He would not seem to the world to-day 
the incarnation of the character of God, as He does. Several subor- 
dinate questions arise here. For instance, Did Jesus actually go to 
Jerusalem ? Consider whether Luke 4 : 5 throws any light on this 
point. Did the devil actually appear to Him, or did these sugges- 
tions arise in His mind and were they attributed by Him to the devil 
when He saw their evil import ? 

2. He reports a third temptation to His disciples. Read Matt. 4: 
8-10. If we continue to look to Jesus' answer for the indication of 
what it was that He felt tempted to do, it would seem that He felt 
tempted to secure an ultimate good by a temporary compromise 
with evil. Perhaps He thought, as the church has sometimes since 
thought, that He could first conquer by force of arms and then 
convert. Such a military career would certainly have met the 
popular expectation. In opposition to this idea Jesus proposed 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 23 



simply to do right at the moment, to worship God, and God only, each 
moment. 

3. It is not easy to ascertain from the parabolic form in which Jesus 
has reported His experience just what processes of thought He passed 
through during these six weeks. Very likely He experienced depths 
and heights of temptation that He could not explain even to His dis- 
ciples, but He made it clear to them that He was tempted, and very 
probably tempted as fiercely as any man ever has been, or ever will be, 
by temptations commensurate with His great nature. 

What experience do you think He meant to describe by the last 
clause in Mark 1:13? The word "minister" sometimes means to 
serve food (cf. Mark 1 : 31). The allusion to the wild beasts seems to 
be Mark's vivid, concrete way of indicating the wildness of the spot. 

Personal Thought : If you are a tempted man, remember that Jesus 
Christ knows how it feels to be tempted, that He knows how to resist, 
and that He wills, from the vantage ground of His victory, to help you 
resist. "Wherefore it behoved Him in all things to be made like unto 
His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in 
things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the peo- 
ple. For in that He Himself hath suffered, being tempted, He is able 
to succor them that are tempted." (Heb. 2 : 17, 18). "Having then 
a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the 
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high 
priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but 
one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without 
sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of 
grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time 
of need." (Heb. 4: 14-16.) 



24 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study III.— $tm& in Galilee as ^rnp^t-^caler 

FlRST Day: Jesus' Early Public Work Assumed, but not 
Recorded, by Mark. John 1:35-4:54 

Does Mark 1:14 suggest an interval of unrecorded activity be- 
tween the close of the six weeks' temptation (1 : 13) and the imprison- 
ment of John the Baptist ? Does the readiness of the four men to 
attach themselves to Jesus in Mark 1 : 16-20 imply a previous acquaint- 
ance? Mark I : 21 indicates that Jesus had already become a well- 
known public character. Why Mark, Matthew, and Luke do not 
describe this period of earlier activity is not entirely clear. It is gen- 
erally supposed that John 1 : 35-4 : 54 describes it. These chapters 
will be taken up in detailed study later. Read them rapidly now in 
order to see their general drift, and as you read them notice whether 
they contain any evidence of Jesus' recent struggle with temptation. 
For instance, Do you see in the first paragraph of the second chapter 
any reminiscence of His second temptation (Matt. 4 : 5-7), any un- 
readiness to push ahead and exercise Messianic power without waiting 
for His Father's direction ? Is there anything in the last paragraph 
of chapter 4 which suggests the first temptation, which shows Jesus' 
unreadiness to make His Messianic mission consist chiefly in removing 
physical ailments ? Is there anything in these chapters that shows 
what Jesus proposed to Himself as the chief object of His Messianic 
endeavor ? 

Personal Thought : Jesus appears in these chapters moving out 
among men with shrewd insight into their characters and profound 
sympathy with their needs. They could not impose upon Him (2: 
23-25), their secret sins and needs did not escape Him (4:17-19). 
His successful battle with temptation had established in Him a living 
hope to which He would now bring them. You have no sin or need 
that can evade Him. "Whence knowest thou me?" we may say, as 
did Nathanael; "I have seen thee," He will say to us as He did to 
him. And He has seen us through and through. All the undiscovered 
weakness of our fancied strength, and all the latent possibilities of our 
distrusted weakness are known to Him. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 25 



Study III.— ^estts in (Galilee as |Jropf)et=|)eaIer 

Second Day: General Themes of Jesus' Prophetic Message in 
Galilee. Mark i : 14-15 

Jesus had found men unready for Him at the capital. He had 
not been able to trust men there with any declaration of His Messiah- 
ship (John 2 : 24). To only one man had He been able to speak even 
vaguely of His Messiahship (chap. 3). In the country districts they 
were more ready to hear about the Kingdom of God (3 : 22-26), and a 
group of villagers among the Samaritan half-breed Jews (chap. 4) 
were ready even to hear about His Messiahship. Now He comes 
back from Judaea to try the less ecclesiastical Galileans. Read Mark 
1 : 14-15, which contains a summary of the themes upon which Jesus 
made addresses in the synagogues and market-places throughout the 
northern province. Do you remember anything in John 3 : 26-4 : 3 
which indicates why Jesus should wait until John's imprisonment 
before beginning His campaign in Galilee ? 

What did the phrase "gospel of God," or "God's good news," mean 
to the men and women in the synagogues of Galilee ? Did it include 
an announcement by Jesus that He was the Messiah ? In answering 
this question cf. Mark 3 : 11-12; 8 : 27-30. We can scarcely imagine 
what a furor of discussion these statements would have produced in 
Galilee. For what was the "time fulfilled" ? The Kingdom of God 
was, as has been previously stated, somewhat vaguely conceived, yet in 
the main it was thought of as a political organization of righteous Jews 
to be administered by Jehovah in the person of His Messiah, which 
would destroy or annex all other nations. It seems to have been ex- 
pected also that the righteous dead would appear in this era. The 
establishment of the Kingdom would be preceded by the Messiah's 
judgment. Did believing in the "Good News" involve anything 
more than intellectual assent ? 

Personal Thought: The call for repentance in view of the nearness 
of the Kingdom of God is as insistent to-day as it was of old. Put into 
modern phraseology it reads: Jesus is introducing a New Order among 
men; quit all wrongdoing and be ready for your part in it. The 
language is not a mere threat; it is a call to prepare for a great oppor- 
tunity. Irresistible social forces are fast hurrying to a crisis. The 
New Order is being introduced in city and village, farm and factory, 
and each calls for men of the New Order. 



26 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study III.— %t&va in (Galilee as fjtopfoet^ealer 

Third Day: The Finding of the Four Galilean Disciples. 
Mark 1:16-20; Matt. 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11 

1. Read Mark I : 16-20, and compel your imagination to produce 
for you phrase by phrase the picture described in the text. Form the 
habit of doing this in all your reading of these vivid descriptions. If 
we are right in making the events of John 1-4 precede this scene, these 
men do not now for the first time attach themselves to Jesus. It is a 
familiar form that they see as they lift their eyes from their work and a 
well-known voice that they hear. Very probably the relation between 
Jesus and these men is to be more intimate than at an earlier time. 

These men were probably not fish peddlers going from door to door 
with their daily catch, but fish packers preparing cured or pickled fish 
for the market. What hint is there in v. 20 of a somewhat extensive 



2. Jesus speaks to them in His favorite enigmatical style of utter- 
ance^. 17). What does this half humorous, yet profoundly serious, 
sentence reveal regarding the great interest that mastered the mind 
of Jesus ? That is, what was Jesus' chief concern at this time as He 
passed from province to province, from city to city ? 

In all this study one needs to form the habit of asking, "What actu- 
ally happened ? " though many times, as in all thorough investigation, 
he may not be able at once to answer the question. What do you sup- 
pose these men actually began to do in the days immediately following 
this invitation of Jesus ? One would be glad to know the home life, 
the religious outlook, the aspirations and enthusiasms of well-disposed 
young Galileans like these fish packers. Information on these points 
can only be slowly gathered, and we must be content to work ourselves 
down into the situation as fast as we are able. What did it probably 
mean to them to be "fishers of men"? Did they at this time con- 
sider Jesus to be the Messiah ? 

Personal Thought: Jesus said, "Come ye after me and I will make 
you to become fishers of men." Evidently it was to be His policy to 
link their lives in with His own and to do something to these lives that 
would give them influence over others. To mean something good to 
some other life is an instinctive ambition of every normal life. Have 
you ever definitely and unreservedly put yourself into the hands of 
Jesus to have Him do His utmost to make you a power for good in 
other lives ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 27 



Study III.— ^tms in Galilee as fjropljet^ealet 

Fourth Day : Jesus Manifests the Authority of a Prophet in the 
Capernaum Synagogue. Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37 

Read Mark 1 : 21-28. Capernaum was one of the ten or twelve 
busy towns that clustered around the beautiful little Galilean lake. 
The synagogue was the central institution of a Jewish community. 
The law of Moses was taught there on the Sabbath and administered 
there on week-days; it was a meeting-house on the Sabbath and a 
police court on week-days. Read Matt. 10: 17. The "scribes," or 
students of the law of Moses, who usually spoke, made their exposi- 
tions of the law consist largely in the citation of decisions of great 
rabbis: "Rabbi So-and-so says the law forbids this and allows that." 
Jesus preached an entirely new type of sermon, perhaps in the gen- 
eral fashion of the address reported in Matt. 5-7. What was prob- 
ably the subject of His address ? What does Mark 1 : 22 mean ? 
See especially Matt. 5: 20-22, 27-28, 31-34, 38-39, 43-44. Jesus seems 
to have spoken like a prophet after a long period in which no great 
prophet's voice had been heard in the nation. 

The surprises of that Sabbath service did not end with the style of 
the address A demoniac disturbed the public service by crying out 
against the prophet as "God's Holy One," apparently recognizing in 
Him the Messiah who at His judgment would send all evil spirits to 
their own places. Jesus quietly commanded the evil spirit in the 
demoniac to be silent and leave the man. The demoniac shrieked, 
went into a convulsion, and then became quiet and sane. We shall be 
better able to consider exactly what ailed this poor man when we have 
seen other similar cases in the subsequent narrative. Whatever the 
matter with him was, the main thing is that Jesus was able at once to 
bring his disordered personality into quiet rationality and restore him 
to home and society. It was a great day for this nameless man and 
his friends! 

Personal Thought: "Even the unclean spirits obey Him." There 
was that in Jesus' personality which compelled obedience, albeit 
unwilling and unmeritorious obedience. Have you such a sense of 
Jesus' majestic authority as to make His word your law ? He is not 
the mild-mannered, sad, suffering Messiah He is sometimes travestied 
as being, although He knew sorrow beyond every other man's sorrow. 
He is a regnant, authoritative Lord to whom your glad obedience is 
due. Ask Him to order your life this day. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study III.— %zm& in (Bnliltt as |)rop[)ct=|)eaIet: 

Fifth Day: The Wonderful Healings in Capernaum. Mark 
1:29-34; Matt. 8:14-17; Luke 4:38-41 

1. Read with active imagination Mark 1:29-31. This incident 
was one of great personal interest to Peter, from whose reminiscences 
of his Lord Mark drew material for his Gospel. 

2. Read Mark 1 : 32-34. According to their ideas of Sabbath keep- 
ing it would have seemed scandalous to have appeared in the streets 
carrying a sick person on the Sabbath. But at sunset the Sab- 
bath ended and the streets filled with people. Imagine the scene 
pictured in v. 33 — old and young, parents and children, shrieking 
demoniacs and anxious friends. Read Luke 4 : 40-41 and note the 
detail added regarding Jesus' method of healing. What made them 
think that Jesus could heal the sick ? Does this presuppose any 
period of activity on the part of Jesus not recorded in this Gospel ? 

The demoniacs are said to have recognized that He was the Messiah 
(v. 34) as the man in the synagogue in the morning had done. Why 
did Jesus object to their announcing His Messiahship ? Does this 
statement in v. 34 indicate whether or not people in general at this 
time thought Him to be the Messiah ? 

3. Following this evening of wonderful and numerous cures in the 
Capernaum street, we find Jesus doing a characteristic thing. In the 
morning, before the stars had faded out of the sky above the lake, He 
stole out of the house and went to a quiet spot outside of the city to 
pray. Probably some of the servants saw which way He went, for 
Peter, in whose house He slept (v. 29), soon found Him. The ques- 
tion to be asked with reverence, and answered only partially, is this: 
What did Jesus pray about ? In His prayer did His mind turn back 
to the experiences of the last evening, or look forward to the weeks just 
before Him ? Did the work of healing make draughts upon His 
spiritual force which prayer recuperated ? Or did He suffer at the 
sight of so much sickness and despair ? Was He tempted to make His 
whole ministry one of physical relief? One need not be disturbed by 
finding that he can answer these questions only partially or tentatively. 

Personal Thought: These were busier days than any we shall ever 
spend. If Jesus found it necessary to take time for prayer before 
beginning the work of the day, is it at all likely that we can safely dis- 
pense with it ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 29 



Study III— Jesus in Galilee as |)rapl)et=pealer 

Sixth Day: The Popular Campaign throughout the Entire Prov- 
ince of Galilee. Mark 1:35-45; Matt. 4:23, 8:2-4; Luke 
4:42-5:16 

1. Read Mark 1 : 35-39. The crowds that had gathered in the 
street at Peter's door on the evening before began to re-assemble 
the next morning, and the four companions of Jesus reported this to 
Him (v. 37), but they found that He did not propose to go back. Why 
did He not go back to heal more sick people in Capernaum ? 

2. The province of Galilee was an exceedingly fertile district, full of 
thrifty towns and busy people. Its patriotic inhabitants were some- 
what excitable by nature and furnished a good number of revolution- 
ists. "Nor hath the country been ever destitute of men of courage, 
or wanted a numerous set of them; for their soil is universally rich and 
fruitful, and full of the plantations of trees of all sorts, in so much that 
it invites the most slothful to take pains in its cultivation, by its fruit- 
fulness; accordingly it is all cultivated by its inhabitants, and no part of 
it lies idle. Moreover, the cities lie here very thick; and the very many 
villages there are here, are everywhere so full of people, by the richness 
of their soil, that the very least of them contains above fifteen thousand 
inhabitants." — Josephus, Wars, 3:3:2. 

3. Mark narrates one striking incident in this tour through the 
province. His reason for mentioning it seems to be the fact that its 
occurrence made it impossible for Jesus to work in cities and com- 
pelled Him to hold field meetings (v. 45). It was the case of a man 
with leprous spots whose touch was contamination. In some way the 
leprous man became possessed of the idea that Jesus could cure him, 
and appealed to Him. The outcast man's desperate plight aroused 
Jesus' sympathy (v. 41) and He unhesitatingly touched him. He at 
once sent the man out of the province to Jerusalem to make the offer- 
ing prescribed by law in cases of cured leprosy. In v. 44 what was 
it that was the "testimony"? To whom was it a testimony? And 
of what was it a testimony ? 

Personal Thought: "Jesus being moved with compassion." We 
are in danger of speaking of Jesus' sympathy without realizing what we 
mean. This leprous man's situation actually laid hold of Jesus and 
made Him suffer. Jesus' temperament is not changed. He is still 
affected by all forms of human need and distress. 



jo Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study III.— 3fc6U6 in <55alilee as |JropI)et-|)eaIer 

Seventh Day: The First Offence to the Rabbis in Jesus' Relig- 
ious Views. Mark 2: 1-12: Matt. 9:2-8: Luke 5: 17-26 

1. The account of the popular tour through the province of Galilee 
closed with multitudes streaming up from every quarter to Jesus' field 
meetings (1 : 45). In chap. 2 we begin to hear a note of discontent. 
Before taking up the incident in detail, read Mark 2: 1-12. Deter- 
mine exactly what it was in Jesus' conduct that offended the rabbis. 
Notice that according to Luke 5: 17 these rabbis constituted a com- 
mittee of inspection sent from various parts of the country, and that 
they were present by a preconcerted arrangement. 

Did Jesus' announcement that the man's sins were forgiven mean 
anything more than, "If you have repented, I am sure God has for- 
given your sins"? Anyone could have told the man that. Jesus 
assumed to be able to look down into the man's heart and to see 
whether he had repented. This was really, therefore, an exercise of the 
same power that is requisite for a Messianic judgment, and the rabbis 
were shrewd enough to see it, though the crowd did not think much 
beyond the wonder of the cure (v. 12). 

2. Now take up the paragraph in detail. There is no space here 
to describe the structure of an oriental house, which makes the details 
of the incident intelligible. Picture the four men peering down 
through the opening they have made in the tile roof, looking expec- 
tantly at Jesus and their invalid friend lying on his rug at Jesus' feet. 
Why did Jesus first speak to him about his sins ? Was the man 
troubled about them, and did he connect his paralysis with his sins ? 
Cf. John 9 : 2. What was it in view of which Jesus undertook to help 
the man? See v. 5. Who are included in the plural pronoun "their" ? 
Write out the best off-hand definition of "faith" you can on the basis 
of the present instance. Did their faith include the conviction that 
Jesus was the Messiah ? 

Personal Thought : Faith in Jesus is an attitude toward His person. 
Its beginning may be induced by information about Him. Others 
may help to secure a meeting, but ultimately the man and Jesus stand 
face to face. The heart goes out in humble good-will to Jesus, rejoices 
in all that Jesus increasingly reveals Himself to be, and adjusts itself to 
all that Jesus in love demands of it. It is to develop this disposition 
that one brings himself daily to the conscious facing of Jesus Christ. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 31 



Study IV. — %Z&Vi£ in (Galilee as |Jrop|)et=pcaIcr {Continued) 

FlRST Day: The First Offence to the Rabbis in Jesus' Religious 
Views (concluded). Mark 2: 1-12; Matt. 9: 2-8; Luke 5: 17-26 

1. The true insight into the invalid's heart which enabled Jesus to 
see that he was penitent and to assure him that he was forgiven enabled 
Him to see the critical hearts of the delegation of rabbis. Jesus 
proved to them that He could look into the heart of the paralytic by 
showing them what He could do to the body of the paralytic. He so 
wrought upon the man, mind and body, that the man willed to rise and 
did rise, roll up his sleeping rug, and make his way through the mar- 
veling crowds to the street outside, where his four friends had doubt- 
less hurried down from the house-top to meet him. We turn the situ- 
ation about and find ourselves ready to believe that Jesus did so affect 
the bodies of men in view of the experience men have since had of His 
power to affect their spiritual natures. Do the crowds seem to have 
inferred from this incident that Jesus was the Messiah, or do they still 
think of Him as a great prophet-healer ? On this point read also 
Matt. 9 : 8 and Luke 5 : 26. 

2. Jesus here for the first time applies to Himself the title "Son of 
Man." No one else ever applied this title to Him except Stephen, 
Acts 7 : 56. It seems to have been a title that probably suggested 
Messiahship but did not assert it. Such suggestion would be due to 
its use in Dan. 7 : 14, where the phrase is "a Son of Man" (R. V., not 
"the Son of Man"). Read Dan. 7 : 13-23, and ascertain whether the 
title there designates the person of the Messiah or the Kingdom of God. 
That Jesus did not suppose the title would be understood by the people 
to be an assertion of Messiahship is evident from Mark 8 : 27-30. 

Personal Thought : "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven" 
(Matt. 9 : 2). His nerveless limbs and his accusing conscience were 
giving him little occasion for "good cheer," but a few minutes later he 
was elbowing his way through the crowd with a heart bursting with 
good cheer. The Christian who has been introduced by Jesus Christ 
to infinite resources of hope and good cheer in the universe should 
realize it. Realize to-day the endless outlook that is yours by virtue 
of Jesus' statement to you: "Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven." 



32 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study IV.—^tms in (Salilee as f3rop!)et=|)eaIer {Continued) 

Second Day: The Second Offence to the Rabbis in Jesus' Relig- 
ious Views. Mark 2 : 13-17; Matt. 9 : 9-13; Luke 5 : 27-32 

In Mark's swiftly moving panorama new characters now appear 
on the scene. The so-called "sinners" were the submerged tenth who 
no longer cared to attend the synagogue services or to please the rabbis. 
The "publicans" were persons who were ready to make money out of 
the political humiliation of their nation by collecting the taxes im- 
posed by the Roman authorities or the Herods. The "Pharisees" or 
"Separatists" were strictly religious people who "separated" them- 
selves scrupulously from all irreligious people, foreigners or Jews. 
They were the spiritual descendants of those who, two centuries be- 
fore, had successfully resisted the effort of the Syrian kings to abolish 
Jehovah worship and introduce Greek civilization. The "rabbis" or 
"scribes" who cared enough about the law to give their lives to its 
study naturally came most largely from the Pharisees, and are there- 
fore called "scribes of the Pharisees" (Mark 2 : 16). The contempt 
of the rabbis for the publican and the sinner was very great. The 
rabbis were particularly unwilling to eat at a publican's or sinner's 
table, for these classes were certain to disregard food laws about which 
the rabbi was scrupulously particular. 

It was therefore a scandalous thing, from the rabbis' standpoint, 
when a prophet actually invited a publican to associate intimately with 
him as a member of the inner circle of his disciples. Read Mark 2 : 
13-17 carefully, with appreciation of the situation described. Was it 
probable that Jesus and the publican Levi had known each other before 
this day when Jesus asked him to leave his office ? Notice the other 
and better known name of this man in Matt. 9 : 9. Matthew, who 
was probably a well-to-do person, gave a great banquet to Jesus in 
celebration of this call to join the inner circle of disciples. Note who 
were there and imagine the scandal (Luke 5 : 29-30)! The rabbis 
tried to use this event as a means of stirring up dissension among Jesus' 
followers (Mark 2 : 16), and in defence of His action Jesus uttered His 
great apologetic in v. 17. Give a careful answer to this question: 
What was Jesus' view of the irreligious classes of His day ? 

Personal Thought : Jesus always enlarges the lives of His disciples. 
If Matthew had said "No" that eventful day he might have lived and 
died an unknown customs officer. Jesus enabled him to present a 
Gospel to the world. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 23 



Study IV.— ^estts in Galilee as f3t*opl)et |>ealer (Continued) 

Third Day : The Third Offence to the Rabbis in Jesus' Religious 
Views. Mark 2: 18-22; Matt. 9: 14-17; Luke 5: 33-39 

1. The rabbis hoped to induce all truly religious people to fast on 
Mondays and Thursdays. Hear the Pharisee brag in Luke 18 : 1 1-12. 
The wilderness prophet, John the Baptist, was ambitious to have his 
disciples fast. But here again Jesus seemed scandalously lax. Read 
Mark 2 : 18-22. Who complained of Jesus' laxness ? Cf. Matt. 9 : 
14. In reply to this criticism Jesus used three illustrations. The first 
is in vv. 19-20. Determine what the point of the illustration is, re- 
membering that tho "sons of the bride chamber" were a committee 
of young men whose duty it was to keep things lively during the 
wedding week and to see that everybody had a jolly time. To what 
event does v. 20 obscurely allude ? This is the earliest allusion of the 
sort in the Gospel. 

2. The second illustration is in v. 21. The figure is that of an 
unshrunk patch put on an old shrunken garment. At the first wash- 
ing the patch would shrink and tear away from the old garment. If 
the old garment represented the system of religious observances, of 
which fasting was one, what would the rabbis naturally think that 
Jesus proposed to do with the whole system ? That is, what would 
He probably recommend to do with the old worn-out garment ? 
While the meaning of the illustration was ambiguous, its possible sig- 
nificance must have seemed to the rabbis very startling. 

3. Write out your conception of the meaning of the third illustration, 
in v. 22, remembering that the skins of animals were used for hold- 
ing 'wine and that fresh skins would stretch enough to accommodate 
themselves to the fermentation of the new wine, while old skins, 
already stretched, would burst when the fermentation of the new wine 
began. The rabbis must have gone away shaking their heads over the 
suspicious implications of these illustrations! 

Personal Thought : One of the problems before the man who would 
keep himself vitally religious is the problem of the proper valuation of 
religious ceremonies. Are the religious ceremonies which you engage 
in real expressions of your inner life ? 



34 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study IV.— testis in (Galilee as fjrnpl)ct=if)ealer {Continued) 

Fourth Day: The Fourth Offence to the Rabbis in Jesus' Relig- 
ious Views. Mark 2:23-3:6; Matt. 12:1-14; Luke 6 :i-ii 

1. The point at which the rabbi was most sensitive was Sabbath 
observance. He had wrought out the simple Sabbath law of the 
Mosaic legislation into innumerable and sometimes absurd details. 
Tailors must not carry needles on their coats late Friday afternoon lest 
the sun should set before they noticed it and they be carrying burdens 
on the Sabbath; the physician might take measures to prevent a 
serious disease from growing worse on the Sabbath, but must not try to 
cure it; minor ailments might not be treated at all. The rabbis went 
so far as to say that God had created man for the sake of His Sabbath 
law, that is, in order to have some one to obey His'Sabbath law. See 
Jesus' attitude towards this view in Mark 2 : 27. 

2. Jesus' view of the Sabbath was very different from that of the 
rabbis. Read Mark 2 : 23-28, where an account is given of what the 
rabbis would perhaps have called "harvesting and threshing" the 
heads of wheat or barley. A most shocking thing to the rabbis was the 
defence. Read in I Samuel 21 : 1-6 an account of David's action. 
The rabbis would have justified the action of David's young men on 
the ground that the position of David as the Lord's anointed gave him 
and his young men a warrant for doing things unlawful for ordinary 
persons. Jesus seemed to imply that He was at least as great as 
David, and that His position warranted His young men therefore 
in doing things that the rabbis forbade. He then proceeded to make 
the startling statement in v. 28. Compare it with such statements as 
Matt. 5 : 21-22, etc. Read in Matt. 12 :5-6 another illustration used 
by Jesus at this time and state its meaning. The rabbis must have 
wondered who Jesus thought Himself to be! If the Sabbath was made 
for man, what is the contribution that it was intended to make to man's 
welfare ? Write out carefully your thought on this point. 

Personal Thought : Are your Sabbaths making the largest and high- 
est possible contribution to your development ? What is the principle 
by which you determine how you spend your Sabbaths ? How would 
you modify this statement: The Sabbath should be spent in such a way 
as to bring us to Monday morning with a clearer and happier sense a£ 
God and duty? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 35 



Study IV.— ^Testis in Galilee as fjropljekpealet (Continued) 

Fifth Day : The Fourth Offence to the Rabbis in Jesus' Religious 
Views (concluded). Mark 2:23-3:6; Matt. 12: 1-14; Luke 
6: i-ii 

1. The increasingly bitter feeling against Jesus came to a crisis in an 
episode that brought distinctly to light His attitude towards the Sab- 
bath law. Read Mark 3 : 1-6. Does the paragraph read as though 
the man had been brought into the synagogue to see whether or not 
Jesus would heal him ? Whether this is so or not, evidently the rabbis 
knew that the man would be there and hoped that Jesus would heal 
him so that they might make a test case of it. "Accuse" in v. 2 indi- 
cates the lodgment of a formal charge of Sabbath-breaking against Him 
before the local authorities. Jesus met them boldly, with no effort to 
evade them. What evidence of boldness is there in this paragraph ? 
What evidence is there that Jesus was unusually aroused by the situa- 
tion ? What pertinence was there in the last question of v. 4 ? That 
is, who felt like "killing" anyone ? What was it in the attitude of the 
rabbis that so aroused Jesus' indignation ? That is, in what did the 
"hardness of their hearts" consist? 

2. As soon as the incident was over, leading rabbis went to the 
"Herodians" to see whether legal measures could be instituted against 
Jesus that would result in a trial and execution. It may not be pos- 
sible to ascertain exactly the political relationships of the Herodians, 
but clearly enough they were persons who associated with the Tetrarch 
Herod. The rabbis felt that it would require the special help of the 
Tetrarch's influence and power to dispose of so popular a personage as 
Jesus. Whether or not they succeeded in enlisting the Herodians in 
their scheme does not appear. Herod was a sly character, not likely 
to declare himself openly against so popular a hero. Read Jesus' com- 
ment on him in Luke 13 : 31-32. 

Personal Thought : "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day" 
(Matt. 12: 12). The Christian church has probably concerned itself 
too exclusively with the negative side of Sabbath observance. It has 
concentrated attention upon what men ought not to do, rather than 
upon what they ought to do. Jesus emphasizes the positive side. 
They ought to do good. Consider again what opportunities the Sab- 
bath offers in your own case for doing good to others. Who is there 
that you might help on the Sabbath, whom you cannot well help on 
week-days ? 



36 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study IV.— ^ectts in (Galilee as |Jropf)ct=|)caIer (Continued) 

SlXTH Day: The Great Popularity of Jesus Outside the Province, 
and the Bold Appointment of the Twelve Apostles. Mark 
3:7-19; Luke 6:12-19 

1. Mark 3:7-12 is perhaps the best instance of Mark's vividness of 
style to be found in the entire Gospel. Read it, making your 
imagination produce the picture for you verse by verse — the sick 
people and their friends crowding about Jesus until He is nearly 
thrown down and trampled under foot, the demoniacs shrieking, 
and the anxious disciples in the boat. Note on the map the 
regions to the north, east and south of the province from which 
these crowds came. The streaming of the people to Him is in 
startling contrast with the quick, sharp development of the rab- 
binic hatred in the paragraph just preceding. What drew these 
crowds to Jesus ? Did they think Him to be the Messiah ? The 
meaning of v. 9 is that in order to save Himself from being trampled 
under foot, Jesus had His disciples keep a little boat a few feet from 
shore so that He might wade out to it and get in if the crowd should 
become unmanageable. Why did He not wish the demoniacs to make 
His Messiahship known ? 

2. At this time, when the opposition of the rabbis was so bitter and 
the popular feeling so strongly in His favor, Jesus took a decisive for- 
ward step. He appointed twelve men to be especially associated with 
Him. Read Mark 3 : 13-19. This must have seemed to the rabbis 
a suspicious action. It looked as if He had in mind the revival of the 
old twelve tribe division of the people which was popularly expected to 
be a feature of the Messianic Kingdom. These men would be the 
twelve heads of the tribes in the reorganization of the nation. Per- 
haps the twelve men themselves had political aspirations raised by this 
circumstance. Read Matt. 19 : 28. Jesus sent out a large number of 
personal invitations to the meeting on the hill, and to this company He 
announced the names of the twelve (vv. 13-14). 

Personal Thought : "A great multitude, hearing what great things 
He did, came unto Him." It was the report made by, and about, 
those who had been helped by Jesus that brought these crowds to 
Him. It is no less true to-day, that the simple, straightforward report 
of benefit received by those who have had to do with Jesus is the chief 
means of bringing other lives under His influence. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 37 



Study IV.— ^tsus in (Saltier as f)tapI)ct=|)EaIet (Continued) 

SEVENTH Day: The Bold Appointment of the Twelve (concluded). 
Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-19 

1. Read again Mark 3:13-19. Did Jesus appoint these men be- 
cause He had found them to be the best qualified for the purpose He 
had in view ? What was this purpose ? What qualities fitted them 
for their position ? How was the new relationship to differ from that 
which some of them had sustained to Him before ? Think about these 
questions and answer them in writing as best you can before reading 
further on this page. 

2. "The" mount (v. 13) seems to have been a place of familiar 
resort for Jesus and His followers. Some of the personal qualities of 
the Twelve appear in what is said about them here, though it is not cer- 
tain that these are the qualities in view of which Jesus selected them. 
In Simon He saw, either actually or as a latent possibility, something 
rock-like, and called him "Cephas" in the popular Aramaic, or 
" Peter" in the Greek form of the word. Perhaps Jesus, who had been 
a builder by trade, saw in Simon something that fitted him to serve as 
a foundation on which to build. Two persons, James and John, 
were called "Sons of Thunder," perhaps because of their intense and 
fiery temperaments (Luke 9 : 52-54). Matthew, an ex-customs offi- 
cer, received an appointment in spite of the agitation among the rabbis 
when Jesus had earlier invited him to the less intimate relation of dis- 
cipleship. A man from the opposite political extreme also appears in 
this list, Simon the "Cananaean" or "Zealot" (Luke 6 : 15), a mem- 
ber of the party of extreme patriots who were ready even for fanatical 
and revolutionary measures against the Roman governors. Judas, the 
man from Kerioth (Iscariot), is sometimes said on the strength of his 
surname to be the only man of the number who was not a Galilean. 
There was a Kerioth in Judah (Joshua 1 5 : 25). It was these men, rather 
than any of the rabbis, that Jesus trusted to receive the impression 
of His personality and transmit it to the world. Cf. Luke 10 : 21. 

3. Notice in Luke 6:12 how Jesus spent the night before the an- 
nouncement of the Twelve. Was He revising the list ? What do you 
imagine to have been the subject of His prayer ? 

Personal Thought : "That they might be with Him." It was upon 
continuous personal association with these men that Jesus relied as the 
means of accomplishing His purpose for and through them. It is this in- 
fluence that may be felt and perpetuated by every disciple in every age. 



38 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study V.— %tm& in (Saltlee as f)t0pl)et=|>ealer (Continued) 

First Day: Jesus' Address on the Kingdom of Heaven and Its 
Righteousness. Matt. 5-7 

1. Matthew, who records far more of Jesus' teaching than does 
Mark, evidently felt that in the beginning of his Gospel there should 
stand some formal report of Jesus' principal teachings. In chapters 
5-7 we have such a presentation, commonly called the "Sermon on the 
Mount." In a later volume in the College Cycle, "Studies in the 
Teaching of Jesus and His Apostles," the various subjects discussed 
in this address are taken up topically, but it is desirable here to con- 
sider the address as a whole in order to understand more clearly the 
forward movement in the Gospel narrative of Jesus' life. 

2. To-day read the entire three chapters rapidly through, and ascer- 
tain whether any one subject is dominant in them, and whether the 
address breaks up into any clearly marked divisions. Try to read 
these words as though you had never before seen them. Imagine 
yourself to be one of the newly appointed Twelve. 

"His words have been a sort of infinite wonder to the world, a kind 
of Divine heart and conscience to it. They are but few; we can read in 
an hour all of His thought that survives in the forms human art has 
created to clothe and immortalize the human spirit. Nor was He care- 
ful to preserve them; wrote no word, commanded no word to be written; 
spoke, as it were, into the listening air the words it was to hear and pre- 
serve for all time. And the speech thus spoken into the air has been 
like a sweet and subtle divine essence in the heart of humanity. If we 
imagine a handful of sweet spices cast into the ocean subduing its salt 
and brackish bitterness, and making it forevermore pleasant to the 
taste; or a handful of fragrance thrown into the air spreading and pene- 
trating until it filled the atmosphere of every land, and made it heal- 
ing and grateful as the breath of Paradise; — we may have an imper- 
fect physical analogy of what Christ's words have been, and what His 
teaching has done for the thought and spirit of man. Had the words 
of any other great teacher perished; had the wisdom of Socrates, or the 
science of Aristotle, or the eloquence of Cicero, or the poetry of iEschy- 
lus or Sophocles been lost, our world had still been little different from 
what it is to-day. But had the words of Christ vanished into silence, 
passed into the great halls of oblivion, or had they never been spoken, 
our world had been quite other than it is, and been far from as wise 
and good as it is now." — Fairbairn, Studies in the Life of Christ. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 39 



Study V.—^zsLua in (Galilee as |)nip!)et=l)ealer (Continued) 

Second Day: Jesus' Address on the Kingdom of Heaven and Its 
Righteousness (continued). Matt. 5:1-48 

1. In Matthew 5 : 1-12 Jesus gives an outlook into the civilization of 
the New Order, points out what it promises and who are likely to 
receive its promises. He brings a message of glad hope to classes of 
men not highly esteemed in the public sentiment of the day. These 
opening sentences of Jesus would have been laughed at in the court of 
Tiberius Caesar; smiled at by the worldly priests; and sneered at as 
superficially simple by the rabbinical theologians. The underlying 
thought of Jesus is that the civilization of the New Order will be charac- 
terized by the profound mutual interest and sympathy of all its 
members. 

2. Compare the following paraphrase with the text, verse by verse: 
"Those who in their spirits feel like poor men are to be congratu- 
lated, for they are the ones who are certain to find place in the New 
Civilization" (v. 3). The poor will have sympathy with each other. 
The traditional rich man, with his satisfaction in having special privi- 
leges, will have passed away forever. "Those who sorrow are to be 
congratulated, for they will enjoy the blessedness of being com- 
forted"' (v. 4). Not comforted by God alone, but by other members 
with the sympathy that is to characterize the New Order. The sym- 
pathies of men in the New Order will be so strong and true that the 
sorrow which gives opportunity for their expression is a blessing. 
"Those who, with due consciousness of their own failings and with 
no over-estimate of their own importance, hold themselves ready to 
contribute to the welfare of others, are to be congratulated, for they 
are the ones who will realize our national Messianic expectation of 
exercising dominion over the whole earth" (v. 5). What is your 
definition of "meek"? "Those who fairly hunger and thirst for 
righteous character are to be congratulated, for in the days of the 
Messianic plenty which you long for, it is they who will possess 
abundance" (v. 6). What did the rabbis thirst for? Cf. Mark 12: 
38-40. "Those who mercifully forgive are to be congratulated, for 
they will be treated mercifully in the Messianic judgment" (v. 7). 
"Those whose hearts are clean from hate and greed, and not alone 
those whose bodies are ceremonially cleansed for worship in the temple, 
are to be congratulated, for it is they who will survive to see God's 
glory and worship Him in the New Order" (v. 8). "Those who make 



4o Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



peace between themselves and others, and who reconcile those who are 
at variance with each other, are to be congratulated, for it is they who 
shall have such kinship with God, the great Peace Maker, as will 
enable them to enter into the New Order" (v. 9). "Those who are 
persecuted because of firm adherence to principle may be congratu- 
lated, for they will come to their rights in the New Order" (v. 10). 
"Congratulate yourselves when your neighbors, under the influence of 
the rabbis, insult you and lie about you, because you insist upon 
identifying yourselves with my movement; you will have good society 
in the age to come" ! (vv. 11-12). Consider to what extent Jesus spoke 
of His own religious experience in making the preceding statements. 

3. In vv. 13-16 Jesus likens the Syrian disciples before Him to salt 
and light for the world. It is not salt for seasoning food that He has in 
mind, but salt used in large quantities for preserving from decay. It 
would be only such salt that would be thrown out (perhaps from 
houses where fish were pickled or dried) and used to make paths. 
Why are such personalities as are described in vv. I -11 like "salt" or 
"light" to the social life of the communities in which they live ? 

4. In vv. 17-48 Jesus shows what is His attitude as a religious 
teacher to the law and prophets. The rabbis are the self-constituted 
expounders of the law and the prophets, but Jesus discriminates 
sharply between the rabbis and the Scripture. "Understand clearly 
that I am no religious revolutionist in my religious teaching. I have 
not come to tear down the teaching of the law and the prophets, but to 
carry it on to completion. I hold as earnestly as do the rabbis that 
no 'jot or tittle' of the law shall be discarded until the law's ideal be 
realized in human society. Whoever in practice shall regard slight- 
ingly a single one of these commandments, and shall teach others so, 
shall be very little esteemed in the Kingdom of Heaven; but who- 
ever practices and teaches them shall be considered great. I cer- 
tainly am not a religious teacher set against law and prophets, as the 
rabbis represent me to be (cf. Mark 2 : 7), for I even hold that un- 
less you render a more vital obedience to the law and prophets than 
do the rabbis, you will never pass into the New Order" (vv. 17-20). 

Personal Thought : What is your conception of happiness ? What 
is your life dream, which you do not speak of, but nevertheless like to 
think of? Are your ideals of life being so transformed that you could 
sincerely join Jesus in offering congratulations to the elemental men 
described in vv. 1-12 ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 41 



Study V.—^tms in (Buliltt as fSropljct^calcr (Continued) 

Third Day: Jesus' Address on the Kingdom of Heaven and Its 
Righteousness (continued). Matt. 5 : 1 7-6 : 4 

I. In w. 17-48 Jesus gives illustrations of the way in which He pro- 
poses to develop and carry on to completion ("fulfill," v. 17) the law. 
As has been seen in Study II, Sixth Day, there is evidence that Jesus 
had meditated much upon Deuteronomy. Deut. 18 : 15, which was 
an influential Messianic passage in the early church (cf. Acts 3 : 22), 
would naturally suggest that a part of the Messiah's work would he to 
carry on to completion the teaching of Moses. This Jesus does here. 

Read w. 21-26 and see how He carries the law against murder on to 
such a point of development as to make it include ill-will in the heart. 
Perhaps v. 22 alludes to certain distinctions in guilt that the rabbis 
were accustomed to make. In any case, Jesus' teaching is that a man 
who feels anger or contempt in his heart is a fit subject for the atten- 
tion of the various courts of law, and will ultimately pass into God's 
place of punishment where all who lack sympathetic good-will must 
go. A man who is trying to worship God without having first made 
right the wrong he has done his neighbor, must stop instantly and 
right the wrong (w. 23-24). The man who refuses to pay his debts, 
must at once come to an understanding with his creditors, for God will 
not tolerate the ill-will that would cheat a creditor (w. 25-26). 

Read vv. 27-30 and see how Jesus develops the law of Moses in 
another fundamental point. "I forbid the unchaste glance or gesture. 
God's punishment for such is certain. If eye or hand be the means of 
snaring you in the pitfall of an unchaste heart, tear out your eye and 
cut off your hand" (vv. 29-30). 

Read w. 31-32. Moses had gone so far in protecting the interests 
of woman as to require the husband who wished to divorce his wife to 
give her a written statement of his reason for doing so. This would 
often serve her as a statement of good moral character, and relieve her 
from the suspicion of having been divorced for immorality. Jesus 
goes much further in the protection of woman's interests. 

Read vv. 33-37. Perhaps allusion is here made to the different 
forms of oaths recognized by the rabbis. Jesus says that everything, 
even the hair of the head, belongs to God and is too sacred to be made 
the subject of an oath. " Be so kindly disposed to your brother as 
to deal with him in absolute sincerity. Let your simple 'Yes' and 
'No' be as reliable as the strongest oaths could make them. 'Any 



42 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



departure from such kindly, honest simplicity comes from an evil 
source" (v. 37). 

Read vv. 38-42. "You are familiar with the restraints which the 
Mosaic law put upon injured men. It allowed the infliction of no 
greater injury upon the offender by the offended than he had himself 
received. If a man had suffered the loss of an eye he could do no more 
than inflict the same injury in return. I go further and say that when 
a man has been injured he shall inflict no injury whatever in return 
(vv. 38-39.) Never, under any circumstances, feel revengeful ill-will. 
Personal abuse, loss of property, must all be suffered rather than be 
resented with ill-will " (39-42). 

Read vv. 43-48. "You have heard that the law commanded to love 
one's neighbor, and you have heard the rabbis interpret this to mean that 
one may hate no one but an enemy. I go further, and extend the law's 
command until it includes love to all enemies (vv. 43-44). If you show 
good-will only to those who love you, where is your religion ? Irreligious 
people do as much as that. You must remember who your Father is, 
and you must feel under all circumstances the good-will that will prove 
your right to be called the children of a perfect Father" (vv. 45-48). 

2. In 6 : 1 a general principle is laid down and in the following 
paragraphs various illustrations of it are given. The types of relig- 
ious life current among the rabbis are evidently in Jesus' mind. 
"Whenever you perform benevolent deeds do not do them in such a 
way as to make yourself conspicuous. Do not behave as the hypo- 
critical rabbis do when they contribute to the synagogue collections on 
the Sabbath or give alms in the street. They simply want a reputa- 
tion for benevolence. It is a business transaction with them (the 
Greek word here is one frequently used to receipt bills). They could 
sign a receipt for so much recognition received for so much money con- 
tributed. But thou, my disciple, when thou givest money, let thy 
right hand slip the money so slyly into the recipient's hand that even 
thy left hand shall not know what has been done. Thy Father, who 
sees all secret deeds of love, notices it and will reward you with his 
approval" (vv. 2-4). 

Personal Thought : "Thy Father which seeth in secret." Have you 
ever tasted largely of the satisfaction which comes from kindness so 
secretly done that no one but the recipient knows it ? Such secrecy 
may not always be practicable, but it often is. It is a means of culti- 
vating a sense of the reality of God, the development of which within 
us is so essential to the progress of the religious life. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 43 



Study V.— ^cstts in (55ahlec as fJropljet pealer (Continued) 

Fourth Day: Jesus' Address on the Kingdom of Heaven and Its 
Righteousness (continued). Matt. 6:5-24 

1. Read carefully 6 : 5-15. "The rabbis plan to have the prayer 
hour overtake them in public places in order that they may be spoken 
of as men of prayer" (v. 5). What is the "recompense" (v. 6) ? 

Vv. 7-15 seem to be a parenthesis, for they are not concerned with 
the publicity of prayer, but rather with its simplicity. God is a Father 
whose attention we do not have to strain ourselves to get (vv. 7-8). 
An illustration of the brevity and substance of prayer follows (vv. 9-13). 
Read it, asking yourself what each word means. 

"Father of all of us, who art in heaven, may thy name and person 
be sacredly loved everywhere; 

"May thy will be done in earth as perfectly and heartily as the 
angels do it in heaven; 

"Give us this night bread for to-morrow." (See margin R. V. 
Perhaps Jesus had in mind the Israelites praying in the evening that in 
the night manna for to-morrow's bread might fall.) 

"Forgive us our sins, for we have forgiven those who have sinned 
against us; 

"Do not bring us into temptation, for we know that we are but 
weak children, not strong nor self-sufficient. Rather, Father, snatch 
us away from the evil." 

In w. 14-15, Jesus returns to His great underlying thought that men 
in the New Order are to be men of unfailing good-will. 

Read w. 16-18, another illustration of 6 : 1. "Whenever you fast 
do not whiten your faces to make them show the pallor of long absti- 
nence from food, and do not try to look haggard and gloomy" (v. 16). 

2. In 6 : 19-34 Jesus takes up a new subject. He discusses the love 
of money so characteristic of the nation. Vv. 19-24 are addressed to 
the contented rich; vv. 25-34 to the anxious poor. Read vv. 19-24, 
remembering that wealth in the Orient consisted largely of rich cloths 
and metals which might be injured by moths and rust. What does 
Jesus consider to be "treasures in heaven"? And how are they 
accumulated (vv. 19-21)? 

Personal Thought : We need such a conception of the life to come as 
will enable us to make the most of the life that now is. The question 
is, what habits of feeling, thinking, and living will be demanded by the 
exigencies of the life to come ? We have a chance to form them now. 



44 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study V.— $zm& in (0alilee as |3ropI)ct=^eaIer (Continued) 

Fifth Day: Jesus' Address on the Kingdom of Heaven and Its 
Righteousness (continued). Matt. 6: 19-34. 

Continuing the study of 6 : 19-34, read vv. 22-23. "The eye is the 
organ which serves as a lamp, giving to the hands, feet, and other mem- 
bers of the body the light which they need for the performance of their 
functions. If the eye be sound, the members of the body will be well 
lighted; but if it be unhealthy, they will be in darkness. If that spirit- 
ual faculty by which we perceive truth, upon which we depend for our 
spiritual enlightenment and our sense of the reality of God and the 
life to come, be injured, how great will be our moral darkness (vv. 
22, 23)." What is here said to endanger the health of this faculty? 
How endanger it ? Write careful answers. 

In vv. 25-34 Jesus turns to the poor man whose danger of being 
engrossed in anxiety about money is as great as that of the rich man. 
He is not to worry, because the God who gave him so wonderful a 
thing as life and a human body can surely do that which is less won- 
derful, namely, enable him to get food to sustain the life and clothes to 
put on the body (v. 25). He has given the birds a chance to get their 
food; men are dearer to Him than birds (v. 26)! Anyway, worrying 
about it will not lengthen the life course a single cubit (v. 27). He 
sees to it that the flowers are beautifully clothed; men -are dearer to 
Him than flowers (vv. 28-30)! Men ought not, therefore, to worry 
about these things: "What shall we eat? What shall we wear?" 
(v. 31). They would be acting like people who do not know that God 
is their Father (v. 32). If their supreme ambition be to see the New 
Order coming, and to have the kind of character requisite for a part 
in it, their Father will not let them suffer for lack of food and clothing 
(v. 33). They are not to borrow trouble about to-morrow. To meet 
tranquilly the unpleasant circumstances of to-day is enough (v. 34). 

Personal Thought : Do you worry ? The fundamental difficulty is 
that you do not really believe that there is a live God and that He is 
your Father. Let Jesus, out of His own infinite experience, assure you 
that "your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these 
things." He will not drop "these things" into your lap any more than 
He drops food into the bird's mouth, but He will see to it that reason- 
able, healthful effort on your part gets what it is best you should have. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 45 



Study V.— testis in (Saltlee as f}ropI)ct=|)eaIer (Continued) 

SlXTH Day: Jesus' Address on the Kingdom of Heaven and Its 
Righteousness (continued). - Matt. 7:1-23 

Read 7 : 1-6. "Do not be of a spirit that is quick to observe and 
pronounce sentence upon the faults of others, for to just the extent to 
which you indulge this spirit you will call down upon yourself God's 
judgment. The disposition to condemn censoriously your neighbor 
for some small fault in his life is a great sin in your own life and destroys 
your ability to help your neighbor correct his faults. First be rid of 
your own sinful, critical disposition, and then you will be able to help 
your neighbor correct his faults (vv. 1-5). Yet do not be wholly undis- 
criminating in your efforts to help others. Be wise in proffering truth 
and kindly suggestions to men. Do not offer them where they will 
simply enrage" (v. 6). 

The subject discussed in vv. 7-1 1 is taken up in "Studies in the 
Teaching of Jesus and His Apostles." The fundamental questions to 
ask here are: Does Jesus teach that God ever grants in answer to 
prayer for specific objects what would not otherwise be given ? What 
is it in the character of God that encourages us to pray ? Read the 
verses and write your reply. Consider that Jesus here speaks out 
of His own experience in the prayer life. Cf. John 11 : 22, 41, 42. 

Compare w. 12-23 wrtn the following condensed paraphrase: 
" Feel for others the same sympathetic good-will that you need from 
them. I know that this is not easily done, but it is only through this 
narrow and little-traveled path that you will pass into the life of the 
New Order (vv. 12-14). Many who profess to be religious teachers 
have not found this narrow way. They have the appearance of inno- 
cence, but at heart they are savage (v. 15). Test them by their lives. 
The only certain evidence of discipleship among my followers is lives 
of love in which the will of God is being done (vv. 1 6-21). In the 
Messianic judgment it will become evident that some who now call me 
their Lord and do miracles in my name are not really my disciples" 
(v. 22). 

Personal Thought: "The will of my Father." It is not a hard will. 
It is infinite love expressing itself in volition. Suppose that God did 
not love you enough to have any will about you! 



4.6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study V.— testis in (Galilee as fjropljet^ealer (Continued) 

Seventh Day: Jesus' Address on the Kingdom of Heaven and 
Its Righteousness (concluded). Matt. 7 : 24-27; Luke 6 : 20-49 

1. This wonderful report of Jesus' teaching closes with an illus- 
tration very natural on the lips of a carpenter. Jesus had built houses 
and knew the necessity of a rock foundation. Read carefully vv. 24- 
27. Notice the two things that enable a man to build a life structure 
that will outlast a storm. 

2. Before leaving this discourse turn to Luke 6:20-49 and read 
the shorter report of it found there. Certain characteristic features 
of Luke's Gospel appears in this report which will be noted later 
when we take a general survey of Luke. For the present, note such 
peculiarities as impress you in a single reading. 

Personal Thought: "Heareth my words and doeth them": to 
hear and to do, to see and to act. We need steadily to face the fact 
that to hear and not to do, to see a duty and not to do it, is nothing 
less than ruin. "The ruin of that house was great." Does your 
conscience suggest a neglected duty ? 

" Stand still, my soul, in the silent dark 
I would question thee, 
Alone in the shadow, drear and stark, 
With God and me ! 

" What, my soul, was thy errand here ? 
Was it mirth or ease, 
Or heaping up dust from year to year ? 
' Nay, none of these ! ' 

" Speak, soul, aright in His holy sight, 
Whose eye looks still 
And steadily on thee through the night : 
< To do His will ! ' 

" What hast thou done, O soul of mine, 
That thou tremblest so ? — 
Hast thou wrought His task, and kept the line 
He bade thee go ? " 

" Leaning on Him, make with reverent meekness 
His own thy will, 
And with strength from Him shall thy utter weakness 
Life's task fulfill." 

Whittier, My Soul and I. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 47 



Study VI. — ^TcSttS in Galilee as f)rop!)et=|)eaIer (Continued) 

FlRST Day: Jesus' Family Concerned about His Sanity; the Beel- 
zebub Hypothesis Advanced by the Jerusalem Rabbis. Mark 
3:19-35; Matt. 12: 22-50; Luke 11:14-36; 8:19-21 

1. After announcing the appointment of the Twelve, Jesus gave 
Himself to the work of teaching and healing with even greater aban- 
don than before. He often found no time to eat. When the Naza- 
reth relatives (cf. Mark 6:3) heard of this they concluded that He 
was losing His mental balance and came down to Capernaum to 
carry Him back to the quiet of Nazareth where He might recuperate. 
Perhaps some of them (especially James) sympathized with the rabbis 
in condemning the apparent laxness of His religious views. Read 
Mark 3 : 20-21 . Read also Mark 3 : 31-35, which describes the attempt 
of the family to secure Jesus and the somewhat stern, though quiet, 
way in which He resented their interference. This attitude of Jesus' 
mother towards Him is not necessarily inconsistent with the represen- 
tation in the first chapter of Luke that she knew of His Messiahship. 
The conception of Messiahship held by the Jews was very inferior to 
that of the Christian church. It did not seem impossible to Peter that 
his Messiah should blunder (Mark 8:32), and Jesus' mother might 
have thought that His mind had been temporarily overstrained. 

2. About the same time the Jerusalem rabbis officially advanced a 
hypothesis to account for Jesus' deeds. Mark's narrative up this 
point has led us to surmise that here and there some must have 
wondered if the great prophet were not the Messiah. This would 
make it imperative that the rabbis issue an announcement concerning 
Him. Matthew's Gospel asserts this. Read Matt. 12:23-24. The 
hypothesis which the rabbis now advanced is that Jesus performed 
His cures, especially cures of demoniacs, through connection with 
Beelzebub, the chief of demons. They doubtless urged that Jesus 
showed some trace of a demoniacal disturbance of mind, as His own 
family had admitted. Read Mark 3 : 20-30, and show what is the 
force of the two illustrations by which Jesus asserted the falsity of 
their hypothesis: the divided kingdom (v. 24) and the divided family 
(v. 25). What is the point of the positive illustration in v. 27 ? 

Personal Thought: The personal power of Jesus Christ is greater 
than any power of evil. In these busy days in Galilee a demonstra- 
tion was being made of infinite significance to all subsequent ages. 
If you are a tempted man, remember this. 



48 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VI.— $tms in (Salilee as |J3ropt)ct-5)eaIcr (Continued) 

Second Day: The Beelzebub Hypothesis Advanced by the Jeru- 
salem Rabbis (concluded). Mark 3:22-30; Matt. 12:22-45; 
Luke 11 : 14-36 

1. The attitude taken by the rabbis in advancing the Beelzebub 
hypothesis led Jesus to make a profoundly significant statement about 
them and their danger. Read Mark 3 : 28-30. Write out tentative 
answers to the following questions before reading further on this 
page: Just how, in advancing their hypothesis, had the rabbis sinned, 
or been in danger of sinning, against the Holy Spirit ? Does the 
language indicate that a man might repent and fail of forgiveness ? 
Or that he might never repent ? Consider the force of the last clause 
in v. 29. 

2. In looking at the impressive limitation to forgiveness, do not 
overlook the broad proclamation of forgiveness in v. 28. These 
rabbis had, through a process of development which it would be in- 
teresting to try to trace, come to the point where they could face what 
the world recognizes as the most profound manifestation of God in 
human history and call it a devil! Jesus was devoutly conscious that 
the Spirit of God in Him enabled Him to do His beneficent works, 
but that Spirit they called Beelzebub! They were in danger of settling 
down into eternal fixity in sin, all the more awful because they felt 
no solicitude about themselves. If they had felt solicitude about 
themselves, or any regret for their action, it would have been clear that 
they had not committed the so-called unpardonable sin. The thing 
to be dreaded is the beginning of the process by which this fixity in 
sin comes to be. 

The great law of the spiiitual world is that persistent failure to 
accept truth or do duty results in the loss of the capacity to see that 
truth or duty. From him that has not the willingness to do truth, 
shall be taken away, by natural psychological processes, the power to 
apprehend the truth. It will become evident later that the funda- 
mental difficulty with these rabbis was their selfishness. They were 
more or less consciously, but nevertheless really, unwilling to recog- 
nize the superiority of Jesus' conception of religion to their own be- 
cause they saw that if His conception of the Kingdom prevailed, their 
social and ecclesiastical prestige would be gone. Read Mark 12:38- 
40 and the first half of John 5 : 44. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 49 



' No word of doom may shut thee out, 

No wind of wrath may downward whirl, 
No swords of fire keep watch about 
The open gates of pearl ; 

' A tenderer light than moon or sun, 
Than song of earth a sweeter hymn, 
May shine and 90und forever on, 
And thou be deaf and dim. 

1 Forever round the Mercy-seat 

The guiding lights of Love shall burn ; 
But what if, habit- bound, thy feet 
Shall lack the will to turn ? 

' What if thine eye refuse to see, 

Thine ear of Heaven's free welcome fail, 
And thou a willing captive be, 
Thyself thy own dark jail ? 

: O doom beyond the saddest guess, 
As the long years of God unroll 
To make thy dreary selfishness 
The prison of a soul ! " 

Whittier, The Answer^ 



50 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VI.— ^fesus in (Galilee as |)rop[)ct^eaIet (Continued) 

Third Day: Jesus' New Method of Teaching. Mark 4:1-2, 
9-13, 21-25; Matt. 13:1-3, 10-17; Luke 8:9-10, 16-18 

1. At this point Jesus abruptly changed His method of teaching 
and began to introduce a series of disconnected stories which He 
assured the people were extremely important, but the meaning of which 
not even His disciples could understand. Read Mark 4: 1-2, 9-13, 
and especially Matt. 13: 10. Mark gives only a few specimens of 
the many stories alluded to in 4 : 33. Probably before this time Jesus' 
style of teaching had been that which we find in Matt. 5-7. 

2. The question is, Why did Jesus introduce this innovation in His 
teaching? In reply to this read Matt. 13:10-17, Mark 4:10-12, 
Luke 8:9-10, and write out the best answer you can. The Greek 
word translated "mystery" does not mean something hard to un- 
derstand, but simply a concealed truth. It may be perfectly intelli- 
gible the moment it is stated. 

3. The quotation made here is from Is. 6:8-10, and describes the 
extreme moral obtuseness of the nation and its consequent doom. 
Read Is. 6:8-13. Some of the Gospels quote from the Hebrew of 
Isaiah (represented in our English text), and some from the Greek, 
which varies a little from the Hebrew. 

The severity of Jesus' language is understood when it is remem- 
bered that the rabbis in their opposition to God have now gone to 
the extreme of advancing the Beelzebub hypothesis, which calls the 
Holy Spirit a devil. They have resisted and rejected the plain state- 
ments of truth made by Jesus about the Kingdom of God during the 
Galilean campaign, a specimen of which we have in Matt. 5-7, and 
their punishment is that this method is now replaced by one that is less 
simple and less immediately intelligible. It may be said about para- 
bolic teaching in general that it presents truth in an exceedingly 
thought-provoking and effective way to one who cares for truth, but 
in a way which tells nothing to one who does not want to know truth 
and has forfeited his right to it. 

Mark 4:12 reads almost as though Jesus preferred not to have 
the rabbis repent, but it is probable that this clause is included simply 
as a part of the quotation which, as a whole, describes the general 
situation. Jesus seems to guard Himself against such misinterpre- 
tation in vv. 21-25. Read vv. 21-25, considering them to be a con- 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



tinuation of vv. 10-12, the explanation of the parable, vv. 13-20, 
being inserted parenthetically. After reading the following paraphrase 
read the text itself again: "Perhaps what I have said about choosing 
parabolic teaching, because it does not reveal truth to those who do 
not care for truth, may lead you to suppose that I take pleasure in 
keeping truth from men. To suppose so is as absurd as it would be 
to suppose that a man would light a lamp and then cover it up with 
a half-bushel measure or put it under a bed (v. 21). There never has 
been any truth hidden for a time from men but that it might after- 
ward be brought more effectively to the attention of those who care 
for it, as you have yourselves just experienced in the interpretation 
of the parable you have received from me (v. 22). If anyone cares 
to hear truth, let him listen with honest attention and he will hear (v. 
23). You need to give most scrupulously honest attention to what 
you hear, because you will get just such a measure of truth as is your 
desire to know and do the truth (v. 24). Whoever has a desire to 
know and do truth, to him God delights to reveal it; but whoever 
does not love the truth he knows, shall lose even what he does have, 
and also, as in the case of these blasphemous rabbis, his very power 
of apprehending truth" (v. 25). 

Personal Thought : The law of the Kingdom is that everything 
shall come to light; secrets shall be made known; frankness will 
characterize the civilization of brotherly men that, Jesus is introducing 
upon the earth. 



52 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study Yl.—^tme in Galilee as |)rap|)et=^taler {Continued) 

Fourth Day: Secrets of the Kingdom in the Parable of Seed 
and Soil. Mark 4:3-9? 14-20; Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23; Luke 
8:4-8, n-15 

The stories set forth certain "secrets" of the Kingdom ("mys- 
teries" Mark 4: 11), that is, certain points in which Jesus' conception 
of the Kingdom differed from that generally current. The abruptness 
of the coming of the Kingdom was one feature of the popular con- 
ception. Now read the parable and Jesus' brief explanation of it 
(Mark 4:3-9, 14-20) looking for the answer to these questions: 
What secret of the Kingdom does the parable reveal ? Does this 
parable at all report Jesus' own experience during His recent months 
of evangelizing in Galilee ? 

The fields in the east were separated simply by footpaths, and in a 
single field it was possible to find all these varieties of soil. Character- 
ize each of the four classes of hearers described in the story. Imagine 
an instance of each of the four classes as Jesus had met them in His 
recent experience. Had there probably been any "persecution" (v. 
17) of persons who had been temporarily attracted to Jesus; if so, by 
whom and of what sort ? 

The assumption underlying the entire illustration is that as soil is to 
the seed, so is the mind of man to truth. The whole problem, there- 
fore, is to secure the proper kind and degree of prolonged attention. 
If the proper degree and kind of attention is secured there is no doubt 
whatever about the result. The parable, therefore, makes a most pro- 
found classification of men, and on the basis of Jesus' experience. 
He had seen persons stop on the edge of the crowd, attracted for the 
moment by something He said, and then drift thoughtlessly on; He 
had seen people give assent to His teaching and be persecuted out of 
their interest in Him by the rabbis of their home communities; He 
had seen anxious, careworn faces of men and women engrossed in 
other things than the truth about the Kingdom; He had also seen 
those who took time for candid attention to the truth, and in them 
was His hope. 

Personal Thought : Do you often think for fifteen minutes at a time 
of some important religious truth ? When you are coming out of 
church after an impressive sermon, do your miscellaneous remarks 
to your friends make you the unintentional agent of him who dreads 
to have people think long of any great truth (v. 15) I 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 53 



Study VI.— *$z$u8 in (Galilee as fjropljet^ealer. (Continued) 

Fifth Day: Secrets of the Kingdom in the Stories of the Grow- 
ing Crop and the Mustard Seed in the Garden. Mark 4 : 26-32; 
Matt. 13:31-32 

1. In order to determine what truth a parable is intended to illus- 
trate one needs to notice whether or not the truth is plainly stated in 
the context. When it is not so stated, it is necessary to see what 
feature of the story, regarded simply as a story, seems to be its chief 
feature, and to seize upon that as indicating the principal moral truth 
illustrated by the parable. Generally the teaching of the parable is 
to be confined to that principal truth. 

2. Read Mark 4:26-29 and answer this question, in writing as 
usual: What truth of the Kingdom, not currently known, did this story 
illustrate? Here again bear in mind the abrupt, brilliant, and im- 
pressive phenomena currently looked for in the coming of the King- 
dom. 

One of the impressive features of this parable is the confidence of 
Jesus, in spite of apparent comparative failure. He had not won the 
religious leaders at all, and it is more than probable that the crowds 
attracted to Him were largely attracted by His healing power, and 
would have fallen away had they realized how little their popular 
conception of the Kingdom of Heaven agreed with that of Jesus. He 
had not dared to declare His Messiahship to them, yet He appears 
here absolutely confident of the final outcome. Truth had been 
planted in men's minds, ideas had been lodged there, and He felt 
like the farmer who goes his way by day and sleeps soundly at night 
when once his crop is in. 

3. Although the mustard seed is the smallest of garden seeds, it 
grows about the Sea of Galilee to be almost a tree in which birds can 
build nests, and comes to be quite out of the class of garden herbs. 
Read Mark 4:30-32. What truth connected with the Kingdom of 
God does the parable illustrate ? Is it truth in an individual life, or 
the Kingdom of God in the world that is here thought of? 

Personal Thought : Have you learned to study with interest the 
growing Kingdom of God in the world; the irresistible trend of civili- 
zation; the development of social forces that are evidently beyond 
the control of any man or combination of men; especially the trans- 
formation of heathen civilizations as one may learn of it in mission 
study classes ? 



54 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VI.— ^estts in (Galilee as fjropljet dealer (Continued) 

Sixth Day: Secrets of the Kingdom in the Story of the Tares 
and Wheat, and the Yeast in the Meal. Matt. 13 : 24-30, 33, 
36-43 

1. Matthew's Gospel contains several parables on the secrets of 
the Kingdom, not found in Mark, which may be looked at here. 

Tares, or zizanium, resemble wheat in the early stages of growth, 
but are easily distinguishable at maturity. The zizanium is a poison- 
ous narcotic which causes dizziness and nausea if it by mistake gets 
into the bread. Read first the story itself in Matt. 13:24-30, and 
ascertain what seems to be the center of interest and the most striking 
feature of the story. Then read Jesus' own explanation of it in vv. 
36-43 and write out a statement of the truth which the story prin- 
cipally illustrates. 

2. One of the features of Jesus' career most disappointing to the 
disciples that believed Him to be the Messiah must have been His 
slowness to begin the Messianic judgment which was popularly ex- 
pected to inaugurate the Kingdom of God. This judgment had 
been prominent in John the Baptist's message (cf. Matt. 3: 10-12). 
We may well believe that Jesus knew how these disciples felt and told 
them this story to teach them that the judgment must be delayed. 
Ultimately, when the time for it was ripe, the judgment would come. 
In the explanation of the parable He represents Himself unhesitat- 
ingly as the Messiah, but it is in the privacy of the inner circle. 

3. In a country where bread and not meat is the staple article of 
food, three measures of meal, though a large amount, is the usual 
amount for baking (Gen. 18: 6). Read the parable of the Yeast in 
the Meal, Matt. 13:33, and state what secret of the Kingdom it 
illustrates. 

Personal Thought : The silent contagion of character, the quiet 
passing of the word from a man to his neighbor, are mighty forces 
always available for use by any member of the Kingdom. 



Studies in fhe Life of Jesus Christ $$ 



Study VI.— $tm& in (Balilct as prap&et $)ealer {Continued) 

SEVENTH Day: Secrets of the Kingdom in the Parable of the 
Treasure in the Field, the Valuable Pearl, and the Sorting of 
the Fishes in the Drag-Net. Matt. 13:44-50. 

1. In a country where there were no banks, and where, therefore, 
money was frequently hid in the ground, a laborer found a treasure 
in a field. He sold all that he had and bought the field. Read Matt. 
13:44, and determine what truth regarding the Kingdom of Heaven 
Jesus illustrated by the story. How did Jesus probably expound it 
(Mark 4:33)? 

2. A pearl merchant travels everywhere buying up valuable pearls. 
He finds one of such value that he sells everything in order to buy it. 
Read. Matt. 13:45-46, and state what truth of the Kingdom it illus- 
trates. Is this truth different from the one illustrated in the parable 
of the treasure in the field, or are the two stories intended simply to 
interest different classes of people in the same truth ? 

3. The great drag-net usually was out all day, and at evening the 
fishermen drew it in and sat down on the beach to sort the fish. Read 
Matt. 13:47-50, and determine what truth regarding the Kingdom 
is here illustrated. 

4. Perhaps it has not been easy in every case to see that the truths 
illustrated by these later parables became a "secret" of the inner 
circle and were not a part of the current conception of the Messianic 
Kingdom of God. Possibly Matthew groups these parables because 
they are logically related, all of them being about the Kingdom, and 
does not mean to apply the statement in 13: 1 1 to all of them. 

Personal Thought : These mysterious truths taught by Jesus, and 
His own intense personality, must have kept the air charged with a 
sense of great things to come. It was a time of crisis, a time of peril 
as well as of opportunity. The parable of the man coming with 
eager anticipation to buy the field whose treasure would make him 
rich, and the parable in which the wail of disappointment is heard 
from the outer darkness are side by side. This is real life in the world 
of spiritual realities. It is either a great gain or a great loss. There 
is no third possibility. 



56 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VII .— ^esttg in (Bnliltz as |)rop^et^caIer (Continued) 

First Day: The Great Wonder of the Lake. Mark 4:35-41; 
Matt. 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25. 

1. Mark now records in quick succession four great wonders that 
reveal with new impressiveness the power of the Prophet-healer. It 
was in the late afternoon of a day when Jesus had been addressing 
the crowds on the seashore. He had perhaps been speaking from the 
boat (cf. Mark 4:1), and a good many other boats filled with eager 
listeners had been allowed to drift around Jesus' boat in order that 
their occupants might hear Him more easily. Jesus was tired with 
long speaking in the open air, and proposed without going ashore to 
sail directly across the lake and spend the night away from the crowds. 
A night in the open was probably nothing unusual or unpleasant. 
Jesus lay down on the cushion in the stern, and as they sailed or rowed 
out into the lake, was soon fast asleep. 

Read now, noting Mark's extreme and characteristic vividness, 
Mark 4: 35-41. What did Jesus mean by the last question in v. 40 ? 
Confidence that He was the Messiah ? Or confidence that He was 
a Messiah who would do greater things than were currently expected 
of the Messiah ? What were they afraid of (v. 41) ? 

Does v. 41 imply that they had not thought Jesus to be the Messiah, 
or that they had not expected such achievements from the Messiah ? 
Notice that in Matt. 8: 27 this exclamation is attributed to the "men." 
Is it probable that this designates not the disciples, but the people in the 
"other boats "of Mark 4 136 who had sailed out into the lake with Him ? 

2. Now follows an incident described with abundance of vivid 
detail in which Jesus quiets awful confusion in the realm of mind. 
Read Mark 5: 1-20 in preparation for the detailed study of the para- 
graph to-morrow, and as you read compel your imagination to pro- 
duce for you the picture of the man living in the grave chambers hewn 
out of the rocky hillside, raging up and down the mountain-side, gash- 
ing his naked body with sharp stones, and making the fishermen in 
the boats on the lake at night shudder as they heard his piercing yells. 

Personal Thought : "Even the wind and the sea obey Him." Are 
you troubled by Jesus' nature miracles ? Jesus' life was prophetic 
of much that has since happened in the moral triumphs of the race. 
We should naturally expect Him to do something prophetic also of 
the marvelous triumphs of men over natural forces during the cen- 
turies since He lived. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 57 



Study Vll.—^tms in 0altlee as fjrop&et^caler (Continued) 

Second Day: The Great Wonder of the Gerasene Demoniac. 
Mark 5:1-20; Matt. 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-39 

1. Read Mark 5: 1-20 once more, concentrating attention upon 
the two central figures as they draw near each other and meet. 

2. The phenomenon of demoniacal possession is a perplexing one. 
Its principal features seem to have been (1) always some degree of 
mental derangement (cf. John 10: 20) or mental deficiency; (2) some- 
times in addition the presence of some physical ailment like dumb- 
ness (Mark 9: 17); (3) in the case described here in Mark 5, the 
ability of some invisible spirit or influence to pass from the body of 
a man to the bodies of the lower animals; (4) the ability to recognize 
the Messiahship of Jesus when it was yet unknown to others. Jesus 
seems to have regarded the phenomenon as due to the actual pres- 
ence of a personal evil spirit in the victim distinct from the victim's 
own spirit. It is sometimes urged that Jesus in His treatment of 
these cases accommodated His language to what was really only a 
delusion of the victim in order that He might more effectively cure 
the victim. But even in His private conversation with His disciples 
He seems to assume actual demoniacal possession (Mark 9:28-29, 
Luke 10: 17-20), and to have felt that there was special religious sig- 
nificance in His power to cure demoniacs (Matt. 12:28-29). Very 
likely many cases of simple mental derangement with which demons 
had nothing to do were supposed by the people to be demoniacal pos- 
session, but the theory that no malign influence outside the individual's 
own personality was ever operative involves serious difficulties. 

3. Read with active imagination vv. 14-17. The population on 
the east shore was largely non-Jewish. They were more impressed 
by the carcasses of the hogs floating in the lake than by the sight of 
the sane man. Why did they wish Jesus to leave their country ? 

Christian miracles are distinguished from grotesque wonders by 
the fact that they serve some moral purpose. Do you see any moral 
end that was gained by this wonder ? 

Personal Thought: Jesus made this man the evangelizer of the 
Ten-City district (5 : 20), but his first report was to be made to the 
members of his own family who had so long tried in vain to care 
for him at home (v. 4). Is there someone among your close friends 
who might rightly expect you to speak to him of your experience with 
Jesus, someone with whom you have never talked on this subject ? 



58 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VII.— ^tsm in Galilee as |)rijpl)£t-4[)ealet {Continued) 

Third Day: The Great Wonder in the Capernaum Street. Mark 
5:25-34; Matt. 9:20-22; Luke 9:43-48 

1. The night on the eastern shore, with the exciting incident of 
the Gerasene demoniac, probably did not yield Jesus much rest! But 
it brought unspeakable good to the man who from the shore with 
longing eyes (5:18) watched Jesus' boat sailing back again to the 
western shore. Possibly Jesus' boat was recognized at a distance, 
and Mark 5:21 and Luke 8:40 describe the scene that awaited Him 
when He landed. Read Mark 5:21-34. What is there in this street 
incident that makes this seem more wonderful than other cures ? 
The character of the woman's disease was such as to prevent marriage, 
or probably to have occasioned divorce if she were already married, 
and to make her unwelcome in any group she might wish to join (Lev. 
15: 19-30). Her sense of lonely desperation is evident in the strenu- 
ous efforts she had been making for years to be cured. Luke, him- 
self a physician, does not bear down as hard upon the physicians 
(Luke 8: 43) as does Peter here in Mark 5: 26. The character of her 
disease explains her desire for a secret cure. 

2. What light does this incident throw upon the nature of "faith" ? 
Especially, what is the relation of faith to evidence (v. 27) ? The 
little boy told his Sunday-school teacher that faith consisted in be- 
lieving something that you know isn't so. Is faith exercised against 
evidence? Is it exercised beyond evidence? 

Less important questions are these: Did Jesus know the woman's 
condition and definitely will to cure her? Or was His knowledge 
confined to the mere consciousness that someone had been helped by 
touching Him ? 

Personal Thought : "Go in peace." Life was another thing to 
this woman as she slipped away through the crowd to her home. 
Jesus had been able to do something to her that gave her physical 
strength and self-respect. He is able to lay in our lives also the foun- 
dations of an eternal self-respect which alone can give lasting peace. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 59 



Study VII.— $tstt8 in Galilee as fJroplM^ealer (Continued) 

Fourth Day: The Great Wonder in the Synagogue Ruler's House. 
Mark 5:21-24, 35-43; Matt. 9:18-19, 23-26; Luke 8:40-42, 
49-56 

This desperate, lonely woman was not the only one in the waiting 
crowd who needed help. A distinguished citizen was in sore trouble. 
He had hurried away from the bedside of his dying daughter in the 
hope that he might find Jesus. He had waited in desperate impa- 
tience for the boat to land, and when He reached Jesus he told Him 
that his daughter was probably already dead (Matt. 9: 18). He was 
one of the class of synagogue presidents, a class naturally likely to be 
under the influence of the hostile rabbis. Perhaps he was an excep- 
tion, or perhaps his sense of great need overcame his natural prejudice 
against Jesus. Read Mark 5:21-43, and endeavor as you read to 
realize the feelings of the father and the feelings of Jesus. 

In eastern countries burial follows soon, and sometimes almost 
immediately, after death. When the crowd reached the house the 
professional mourners, who had for some time been expecting death, 
had already begun the death wail. They were sure that the little 
girl was really dead and resented Jesus' apparent reflection upon 
their professional skill (vv. 39-40). Why did Jesus take only three 
of His disciples into the house with him ? Why these three ? " 

Palestine was a bi-lingual country, and Jesus probably spoke both 
Greek and Aramaic. It would be especially natural to address the 
little girl in the vernacular Aramaic rather than in Greek. Mark, 
with his usual vividness, preserves the Aramaic words used by Jesus. 
Her age is given to show that she was not an infant, and was old 
enough to walk. Jesus betrays no self-conscious sense of doing the 
unusual when He performs His miracles. Note the evidence of this, 
particularly in the last clause of v. 43. Why should He direct that 
food be given to her ? Why did He not wish what He had done to be 
known ? (v. 43). 

Personal Thought : Jesus' power to beget volition in the human 
spirit is strikingly evident. Here, on the border-land of the spirit- 
world, he stands begetting in this little girl's spirit volition to return 
to, or revive in, the body in which the processes of physical life seem 
to have ceased. As He then spoke from the visible to the invisible 
world, so now He speaks from the invisible into the visible world, and 
always in the human spirit's own vernacular. 



6o Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VII.— ^fesus in (Salilee as |)rop|)ct'^eaIer {Continued) 

Fifth Day: Jesus Surprised by the Coldness of His Reception in 
Nazareth. Mark 6: 1-6; Matt. 13:54-58 

1. Jesus, proposing to avoid the popular enthusiasm developed in 
Capernaum by His four great wonders, goes back into the interior 
of the province to His home town. He goes to Nazareth where He 
had worked at His trade for so many years, now a famous prophet 
with disciples who look to Him as their rabbi. He arrives some time 
during the week, visits in the homes of His married sisters and broth- 
ers, passes here and there the houses He has built, and on the Sabbath 
goes into the old synagogue of His boyhood days. Read Mark 6: 1-6 
with active imagination. 

The word "offended" in v. 3 means "caused to stumble." That 
is, they found something in Jesus that tripped them like the trigger 
of a trap and so snared them that they did not proceed to accord Him 
the welcome which He received elsewhere. Why did not the villagers 
give the prophet a hearty welcome ? What was probably their theory 
about His mighty works — did they incline to the Beelzebub hy- 
pothesis ? Notice the sad situation implied in the last words of v. 4. 
There are three theories regarding Jesus' sisters and brothers: they 
Were His full brothers and sisters; they were the children of Joseph 
by an earlier marriage than that with Mary; or they were His cousins. 

2. Find in Luke 4:16-30 another account of the visit to Nazareth. 
Very likely Jesus' visit to Nazareth included at least two Sabbaths, 
and the account in Luke describes what took place on the last Sabbath. 
A period of activity in Capernaum had preceded the visit described 
in Luke (Luke 4:23). Luke 4:18-19 describes in a most interesting 
way the feelings of Jesus as He taught in the synagogue. 

3. Does "could not" (Mark 6:5) mean "would not," or literally 
"could not" ? This raises the question whether or not faith was psy- 
chologically necessary to the operation of Jesus' healing power. It 
accords with Mark's vivid and direct style to say unequivocally that 
Jesus "marveled" at the Nazareth situation (v. 6). 

Personal Thought : What a blessing to Nazareth, to its sick and 
discouraged, to its little children, the home-coming of Jesus might 
have been! If we are ever tempted to be jealous we need to remem- 
ber that the jealous man always does an injury to his own nature, 
and may in addition deprive himself of some great specific good. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 61 



Study VII.— ^tsun in Galilee as fjrop^ct^ealer (Continued) 

SlXTH Day: Jesus Begins to Employ the Twelve. Mark 6:7-13; 
Matt. 10:5-15; Luke 9:1-6 

1. Jesus now begins to operate more extensively and sends out six 
pairs of men for work. Presumably this work was in Galilee. Read 
Mark 6:7-13, imagining how the men looked and what they taught 
in each village. What were the principal things they were to ac- 
complish on this tour ? Why did Jesus send them out by themselves ? 
Do you see any advantage in sending them in pairs ? What do you 
suppose He was doing Himself in the meantime ? 

2. Why were they to go so meagerly equipped ? Possibly one rea- 
son was that they might by their very appearance impress these vil- 
lagers with the need of immediate action. It was a picturesque and 
symbolical way of saying, "The Kingdom of God is at hand!" It 
was as though a man without hat or coat or shoes should ride down 
the valley telling the villagers that the reservoir in the hills had broken 
its banks. Do you see other reasons for their meager equipment ? 

They were not to go from house to house engaging in the protracted 
and time-consuming social functions of the oriental village, but were 
to stay with one family and be constantly about their business (v. 10). 
It is Matthew, the ex-publican, who notes that they were to take no 
fees for their healing (Matt. 10:8)! 

3. If any village did not receive their message regarding the near- 
ness of the Kingdom, they were to employ the common symbolism 
of the east and shake off every particle of dust from their sandals. This 
would show that they regarded the village as doomed and wished no 
particle of it to adhere to their persons. Their action and dress were 
suggestive of the picturesque symbolism in manner and dress often 
employed by the prophets of old. Indeed, these men were very like 
prophets in their message and services. Is it likely that they pro- 
claimed the Messiahship of Jesus ? (Cf. Mark 8:30). Do you regard 
these directions as of permanent application to evangelistic effort 
to-day, or were they given in view of the peculiarities of oriental life 
and the situation that immediately confronted Jesus ? 

Personal Thought : Have you ever felt the strong support of unity 
in prayer and work with one man who thoroughly sympathized with 
you ? To find such a person and begin to work with him often 
marks the beginning of a new epoch in one's experience and success. 



62 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VII.— ^tm* in (Salilee as |Jropf)et=|)caIer {Continued) 

Seventh Day: Jesus' Inaugural Address to the Twelve. Matt. 
10 : 16-42 

1. Matthew, who gives much more attention to the discourses of 
Jesus than Mark does, inserts at this point an address made to the 
Twelve by Jesus. Matthew's habit seems to be to mass discourses 
logically related, though they may not be chronologically related. 
Some things are attributed to Jesus in this address that were very 
probably said later to the Twelve in view of their world-wide work. 
It is, for instance, hardly likely that Matt. 10: 18-21, would have been 
spoken just before this toui of a few weeks in Galilee; yet of course 
it might have been. Read Matt. 10: 16-42 rapidly through, and write 
out a brief statement of its dominant idea. Is the note of warning 
most distinct ? Or of hope ? Or of foreboding ? 

2. Now read the address through more slowly with reference to 
the following points: What qualities does Jesus want to see in them ? 
Make a list of the motives to which He appeals in His efforts to induce 
them to do what He wants: what are the things to be feared, and 
what are the things to be hoped for? 

You will find many details that may not be clear, but be content 
to get the general impression of the address. 

Personal Thought : "He that loveth father or mother more than 
me is not worthy of me." Jesus' unique sense of His own prime im- 
portance appears clearly in this brief address and lifts Him up out 
of the realm of the mere prophet. His own worth as an object of 
affection and service is such as to warrant Him in asking for an affec- 
tion beyond that given to a man's nearest friends. We hesitate to ask 
for the friendship of another lest our own personalities prove to be 
unequal to the demands that may be made upon them by such friend- 
ship. But Jesus knows no such misgiving. He is sure of the re- 
sources of His own personality. Think of yourself as going out into life 
to-day sent by Him, and yield yourself wholly to Him. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 63 



Study VIII.— $z8us in (Salilee as JJrop&et^ealer (Continued) 

First Day: Jesus' Inaugural Address to the Twelve (concluded). 
Matt. 10: 16-42 

Follow this condensed paraphrase of the text phrase by phrase and 
answer such questions as are occasionally asked: "I send you out 
as the innocent and unresisting among the savage (v. 16). You will 
have to deliver your message before courts of justice often in the non- 
Jewish world (17-18), but your Father will suggest your defense (19-20). 
Members of your own families will turn against you, but the one who 
has endured to the end of the age will survive in the Kingdom of God 
(21-22). When they persecute you in one city do not fight, but flee for 
refuge to the next, and you will not be without refuge, for before you 
have fled to all the cities of Israel I shall come to you to rescue you in 
judgment upon the land and the world " (v. 23). Write a paraphrase of 
vv. 24-25. This reference to the Beelzebub hypothesis shows how 
profoundly Jesus had been affected by the slander of the rabbis. Recall 
again Mark 3:28-29. "Make my message known boldly in spite 
of their opposition" (26-27). Paraphrase v. 28, indicating whether 
it is God or Satan who wrecks both soul and body in Gehenna. Ex- 
press in a sentence the thought of vv. 29-33, bringing out the force of 
"therefore" in v. 32. "The immediate results of my work will not 
be peace, but the most painful divisions, even in the family (vv. 34-36). 
No one who loves another better than he loves me, no one who is un- 
willing to follow me to disgrace, no one who prefers his own apparent 
interest and ease to association with me, can come after me into the life 
of the New Order. Those who come after me with unselfish loyalty 
will find their real life in the New Order (37-39). Remember your 
dignity, who you are, and who it is that sends you. I am so identi- 
fied with you that whoever receives you receives me and the Father 
who sent me. I shall appreciate any attentions shown you. Who- 
ever shows kindness to a prophet gets such reward as a prophet can 
give ; whoever shows kindness to you as my messengers will get the 
rich reward that I can give in the New Order" (40-42). 

Personal Thought : Perhaps Jesus was speaking out of His own 
experience in vv. 35-36. Perhaps His brothers' wives had become 
estranged from their mother-in-law because of Him. Cf. Mark 3:20, 
21. If it happens that the members of your family are out of sym- 
pathy with your religious life, remember that Jesus understands such 
a situation. 



64 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VIII. — ^tma in Galilee as |JropI)ct-|)caIcr (Continued) 

SECOND Day: The Execution of the Wilderness Prophet. Mark 
6:14-29; Matt. 14:1-12; Luke 9:7-9 

1. Jesus began to be talked about even at Herod's dinner-parties. 
The effect on Herod is described in Mark 6: 14-16. This gives Mark 
an opportunity to insert parenthetically an account of John the Bap- 
tist's tragic execution. The tragedy had probably occurred earlier 
than this point in the narrative. The solemn strenuousness of Jesus' 
address to His disciples which we have just studied (Matt. 10:16-42) 
may be due to the fact that Jesus' mind was deeply moved by the 
death of His friend (cf. Matt. 11:7-11). It was the beginning and 
prophecy of what must be suffered by those who would lead in the 
introduction of the New Order. 

The principal characters, aside from the wilderness prophet, are 
Herod, a sly, crafty man (Luke 13:31-32), somewhat religious in his 
beliefs (cf. Mark 6:14, 16, 20), and Herodias, one of the beautiful 
women of the Herodian family, ambitious, and therefore easily tempted 
to abandon her own husband, a private citizen, and become the wife 
of his brother the Tetrarch. According to the lax views of the day, 
especially in royal circles, it made no difference that Herodias was 
the niece of both men. A subordinate character is the daughter of 
Herodias by her earlier marriage, probably a beautiful girl who con- 
sented to do the voluptuous dance of the dancing-girls for her step- 
father's guests. The scene is the great banquet-hall of the castle of 
Machaerus, high up among the crags of Moab, east of the Dead Sea. 
In another part of the castle is the wilderness prophet, a prisoner, still 
reading his roll of the prophecy of Isaiah, dreaming of his vision of 
the coming Kingdom, and hoping for deliverance. 

2. Read Mark 6:14-29 with active imagination. What light do 
vv. 14-15 throw on the question, Was Jesus at the time generally 
thought to be a Messianic aspirant ? What bearing on the same point 
has the fact that John the Baptist still retained "disciples" (v. 29)? 

Personal Thought : Read vv. 27-28. Imagine the spiteful woman 
and her daughter looking at the ghastly head and blood-clotted hair 
of the great prophet. What an end for the greatest of God's prophets! 
A bad man is made over into a loyal son of God, and a bad world 
is made over into the Kingdom of God, only through suffering, and 
to each one who would give himself with abandon to the enterprise 
some measure of the suffering will be meted. out. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 65 



Study VIII.— ^Testis in (Saltlec as |)rop{)et^eaIcr (Continued) 

Third Day: Jesus' Compassion for the Hungry Crowds Leads 
to a Great Wonder. Mark 6:30-46; Matt. 14:13-23; Luke 
9: 10-17 

1. With Mark 6:29 the parenthetical account of John the Baptist's 
execution ends, and in v. 30 the narrative returns to the six pairs of 
apostles who had been sent out in v. 7. Read v. 30, imagining what 
sort of things they had to report. Notice in v. 31 Jesus' considerate 
appreciation of the strain to which they had been subjected in this 
first independent work. Perhaps another motive also operated, be- 
cause that which Jesus "heard" in Matt. 14:13 is probably that Herod 
was beginning to turn a sinister eye upon Him (cf. Matt. 14:1-2) and 
He thought it wise to withdraw. Read vv. 32-33. What was it in 
the situation of these people on the hillside that stirred Jesus' heart (v. 
34)? What did He probably "teach" them all day long? Did he 
address them all at once? In small groups? Or in individual 
conversation ? Notice according to John 6:4 that these crowds from 
"all the cities" (Mark 6:33) were probably on their way to the great 
religious festival in Jerusalem. 

Read Mark 6:35-44 and answer these questions: Why did Jesus 
perform this wonder ? That is, did He have chiefly in mind the 
hunger of the people, or the effect of the wonder on the disciples, 
or what ? 

2. One shrinks from "spiritualizing" these narratives beyond 
the intent of their author. Probably one does not go beyond proper 
bounds in noticing that Jesus made His apostles feel responsibility 
for feeding the crowd (v. 37); made them take account of all their 
resources (v. 38); made them bring all their very meager resources 
to Him (v. 41); and then through His blessing made these resources 
more than adequate to the need (vv. 42-43). The five thin cakes of 
bread and the two little dried fish answered abundantly. John 6:9 
adds an interesting detail. 

Personal Thought : "He gave to the disciples to set before them." 
The supreme values that we have to give our friends are the things 
that come to us from association with Jesus Christ. Whether we 
have much to offer them day by day depends upon what we are get- 
ting of thought and inspiration day by day from Him. The more 
we give, the more we have. When the crowd was satisfied, each 
apostle found his own basket full (v. 43). 



66 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VIII.— %tzm in Galilee as prophet-dealer {Continued) 

Fourth Day: Jesus' Goes to His Disciples on the Water. Mark 
6 : 47-56; Matt. 14 : 24-36 

1. Mark inserts next a paragraph (6:45-52) which, like the para- 
graph 1:16-20, implies a situation that it does not describe. The 
intensity of the Greek word translated "constrain" in v. 45 impresses 
one as strange. He eagerly drove His disciples into the boat, hastened 
them off to meet Him at a point farther around the shore, personally 
dismissed the crowds, and slipped away alone to the hilltop. Read 
Mark 6:45-46. The narrative in John, to which we shall come again 
later, shows that the situation was critical and that only by the prompt 
and decisive action here described did Jesus avert a crisis. Read 
John 6:14-15. 

Read Mark 6:47-52, picturing Jesus alone on the hilltop looking 
out in the moonlight or the morning twilight towards the disciples on 
the lake trying in vain to make headway against the strong wind that 
bends the trees about Jesus and beats the boat back in its course. 
Bearing in mind the general situation at this time, what was Jesus 
probably praying about? Remember Mark 6:34 and John 6:14-15. 

2. Notice carefully what the paragraph says regarding the motive 
that led Jesus to walk out to the disciples upon the water. He ap- 
parently was going on before them to still the storm in advance of the 
boat when they cried out to Him. Read in Matt. 14:28-31 the inter- 
esting episode which we should naturally expect to find here in Peter's 
own Gospel. Matthew also records the fact (14:33) that the disciples 
addressed Jesus as the Messiah. They perhaps had in mind what 
they had just heard the crowds saying of Jesus (John 6: 14-15). Mark 
6:52 says that they were slow to enlarge their Messianic conception 
and were more surprised than they ought to have been in view of the 
miracle of the bread. 

Read Mark 6:53-56, which describes vividly Jesus' popularity in 
all country districts as well as cities. Perhaps the author had in 
mind the sharp contrast to be presented by his next paragraph. 

Personal Thought : We do not sufficiently realize that Jesus' mira- 
cles were the spontaneous expression of power in the presence of need. 
He did not perform "miracles" with the apologetic purpose of im- 
pressing unborn generations. Now as then, it is the commonplace 
needs of men that appeal to Him and may be brought to Him in prayer. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 67 



Study VIII.— %zm& in (Galilee as J)ropI)et=|)eaIer ( Continued) 

Fifth Day : Jesus the Revelation of the Father to All the Weary. 
Matt. 11 : 25-30; Luke 10 : 21-24 

There is one great word of Jesus which might well have been spoken 
about this time when, in the performance of these mighty wonders, 
He is full of the sense of being empowered by the Father, when human 
need (cf. Mark 6.: 34) is pressing upon Him at every point, and when 
His disciples have just been able to multiply His activities (Mark 6:30). 

Read Matt. 11 : 25-30. Jesus rejoices here first of all that His own 
disciples, drawn from the uneducated classes which the rabbis called 
"babes" (cf. Rom. 2:20), have in their recent tour shown themselves 
honored of God above the rabbis (v. 25). He expresses His own 
sense of being empowered by His Father to inaugurate the Messianic 
age (v. 27). He possesses a unique sense of being one whom the 
Father alone knows and understands, and who alone knows, and has 
the ability to make known, the Father (v. 27). Then out of a heart 
full of compassion for needy men, He proposes to share with them 
His knowledge of the Father. He "willeth to reveal Him" (v. 27) 
to all the weary and the needy (v. 28). He expresses His intense 
desire in larfguage suggestive of the rabbis, who were said to put a 
"yoke" upon their disciples. It is He, and not the famous rabbis, 
who can put a "yoke" of discipleship upon all the poor that will give 
them contentment and rest. 

It is such a wonderful outburst of Jesus' personal consciousness in 
the privacy of His own inner circle that prepares us for the revelation 
of the Messianic consciousness which Jesus now conceals from the 
public, but which in the preliminary reading of the Gospel we found 
Him making at the end of His life. Such an expression of His 
personal consciousness also makes us feel that the great wonders attrib- 
uted to Him in these chapters are congruous. We should expect them 
of such a personality as is revealed in this wonderful utterance. 

Personal Thought : "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and 
earth, that thou . . . didst reveal them unto babes" (Luke 10:21). 
Jesus was profoundly grateful for what it had become evident His 
disciples could do. In their achievements during the past few weeks 
He had seen "Satan fall as lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:17-19). 
Have you sufficiently realized the latent possibility of achievement 
that you as a disciple of Jesus possess, and the eager confidence with 
which Jesus looks upon your life ? 



68 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study VIIL— ^fastta in Galilee as fkop&et^ealer ( Continued') 

Sixth Day: Jesus' Attack upon the Rabbis' Tradition. Mark 
7:1-23; Matt. 15:1-20 

1. The "tradition" was the inherited explanation of the law. The 
later view of its origin was that God gave it on Mt. Sinai, either in 
written or oral form, but that much of it was afterward lost and had 
to be restored by the rabbis. The older view was that God gave simply 
the law on Mt. Sinai, which involved the "tradition," or that He gave 
orally the leading principles of the tradition. Practically, the tradi- 
tion was regarded as more important than Scripture, because tradition 
contained all the precepts of the law in the form in which they had 
to be obeyed in order to secure salvation. An instance of the tra- 
dition was the requirement that persons coming from the market 
where they might have involuntarily touched persons or things con- 
nected with pagan worship, or other religiously defiling objects, must 
purify themselves. 

2. Read Mark 7:1-5, noting where the rabbis came from and 
what their charge was. Perhaps they had heard from the Passover 
pilgrims (John 6:4) of the movement to make Jesus declare Himself 
to be the Messiah, and had come to the northern province to oppose 
it. Jesus, instead of defending Himself at the immediate point of 
attack, turned upon them and attacked their devotion to the entire 
system of tradition. Read vv. 6-13. What is the ground on which 
Jesus criticises their tradition ? 

It was possible for a man to say that a piece of property was "Kor- 
ban" or "given to God" so far as a certain person was concerned, 
meaning by this not that the property would actually be given to 
the temple, but only that so far as the person mentioned was con- 
cerned, the property was to be considered as though given to the tem- 
ple. The reference here is to a person who pronounces "Korban" 
over all his property so far as his father is concerned (v. 11), thus 
casting off all responsibility for his father's support. Apparently he 
was then not allowed to reassume his father's support if he wished 
to do so (v. 12). What is hypocrisy, and in what did the hypocrisy 
of the rabbis (v. 6) consist ? 

Personal Thought : The correspondence between lips and heart 
(v. 6), word and thought, seemed to Jesus to be absolutely essential 
to righteousness. What a man says, that he must mean; what he 
would seem to be, that he must be. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 69 



Study VIIL— SJflSttS ill <S5altIee as fjropljetpealer {Concluded) 

SEVENTH Day: Jesus' Attack upon the Rabbis' Tradition (con- 
cluded). Mark 7: 1-23; Matt. 15: 1-20 

1. After showing the rabbis the hideous inconsistency of their 
"tradition," He turned to the crowds and publicly denounced one of 
the prominent principles of the rabbis' teaching, namely, that men were 
religiously contaminated by eating certain kinds of food. Even 
His disciples were surprised at His views on this point. Read Mark 
7:14-23. The last clause of v. 19 (R. V.) is a comment added by the 
author, and indicates that by the time this Gospel was written Chris- 
tians had realized that the rabbinical distinctions between "clean" 
and "unclean" meats were abrogated. Peter had not realized this 
as early as the experience in Acts 10:14. What seems to you to be 
the fundamental difference between Jesus' conception of religion 
and that of the rabbis as revealed in this attack upon them ? 

2. Review the progress in the Gospel narrative that has been brought 
to light in the study thus far. In order to do this glance rapidly over 
the titles of the daily studies during the last eight weeks. 

Personal Thought : Jesus esteemed the great things of life to be 
the commonplace things. No religious system, no matter how gor- 
geous its paraphernalia, how refined its metaphysical distinctions, 
or how minute its rules of righteousness, could stand before Him for 
a moment if it failed in the simple point of honor to parents. Religion 
and life were inseparable, and life was at its fullest in such elemental 
personal relationships as those between parent and child. Have you 
ever definitely reflected upon what is due the parent from the child, 
and carefully considered whether you are really "honoring" your 
father and mother ? What is it to "honor" a person ? 



jo Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study IX.— $tms ©tttmBe (Galilee %n&tvuttin$ t&e Ctoetoe 

First Day: Jesus has a Significant Interview with a Foreign 
Woman in Syro-Phoenicia. Mark 7:24-30; Matt. 15:21-28 

1. The seclusion which Jesus had sought on the eastern shore of 
the lake (cf. Mark 6:31) He had not found. Take the map and see 
how far away from the province of Galilee He now traveled (Mark 
7:24). He evidently tried to take lodgings quietly and escape obser- 
vation, but it was impossible. Where had Jews from Tyre and Sidon 
seen Him before (cf. Mark 3:8)? A Greek-speaking native of the 
country had in some way heard of Him. She was a very bright, quick- 
witted woman, and was now in great sorrow because of the blight 
that had fallen upon the life of her little daughter. Read the inci- 
dent as described in Mark 7:24-30, and try to answer these two ques- 
tions: Why did Jesus at first refuse to cure her daughter? Why did 
He finally consent to cure her? The term "dogs" may have been 
caught up as the term usually applied by the rabbis to foreigners (cf. 
Phil. 3:2). Indeed, the figure of the Jews at the banquet-table and 
the foreigners as dogs in the outer darkness may have been more or 
less common. 

2. Matthew represents her as calling Jesus by the Messianic title, 
"David's Son." Perhaps she had heard rumors that Jesus was a 
Messianic aspirant and her quick wit may have suggested to her, as 
someone has said, that she could please the prophet and gain her end 
by addressing Him as the Messiah. Read Matt. 15:21-28. Did the 
disciples in v. 23 ask Jesus to grant her request and so be rid of her, 
or to send her peremptorily away without granting it ? In Mark 7:27 
do you see one word that might have given her encouragement ? 

3. This is a very significant incident because, side by side with 
Jesus' consciousness of a special mission to His own nation, there 
appears a readiness to extend His activity beyond the limits of His 
own nation. 

Personal Thought : "She came and worshipped Him, saying, Lord 
help me." This woman's sense of desperate need was her incentive. 
Perhaps you have already had, or will sometime have, in a battle with 
temptation such a sense of desperate need as your incentive. Do not 
hesitate to let it lead you to worship Him, to surrender to Him as 
the Lord of your life. Some want Jesus as a Saviour, but not as a 
Lord, and this cannot be. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 71 



Study IX.— ^fcstts ©utstiie (Galilee ^tusttttctina; tlje Ctoetoe 

Second Day: Jesus in the Ten-City District has Compassion on 
the Sick and the Hungry. Mark 7:31-8:9; Matt. 15:29-38 

I. Jesus goes south and east of the Sea of Galilee into the Ten- 
City district (Decapolis), a federation of cities formed about 63 B.C., 
when Pompey freed them from Jewish control. Read Mark 7:31, 
then read Matt. 15:29-31. Is this streaming of the population to 
Jesus from hamlet and city at all explained by the statement in Mark 
5:19-20? Read in Mark 7:32-37 an instance of Jesus' activity. In 
v. 33 note the two peculiarities of Jesus' method of procedure. The 
first is in accord with what has already been noted in Mark 7:24. 
Why did Jesus seek privacy at this time ? Perhaps this unusual use 
of means (v. 33) was due to the fact that the man's faith needed de- 
veloping. Because he was deaf he had had no such opportunity to 
develop faith as that emphasized in Mark 3:8, 5:27. Perhaps also 
the "looking up to heaven" (v. 34) was a kind of sign language which 
the man could understand and be encouraged by. What was it in the 
situation that drew the "sigh" from Jesus ? Perhaps v. 37 represents 
the protest of these Decapolis Jews against the Beelzebub hypothesis of 
the rabbis from Jerusalem, if that hypothesis was known in this region. 

2. In Mark 8: 1-9 we come upon a second wonderful relief of the 
hungry by Jesus. Read the paragraph. The motive for the miracle 
is most distinctly brought out in vv. 2-3. Jesus is not moved by apol- 
ogetic considerations, that is, He is not consciously trying to prove 
Himself to be someone. Yet the spontaneous expression of compas- 
sionate power is in itself of the greatest apologetic value. Perhaps 
the question in v. 4 seems strange in view of their previous experi- 
ence (Mark 6:35-44), but it may have seemed to them that this was 
a natural way to secure a repetition of that experience. The oriental 
does not always broach a subject with the brutal directness of the 
Anglo-Saxon! 

Personal Thought : "They cast them down at His feet and He 
healed them" (Matt. 15:30). The most we can do for our friends in 
introducing them to the high values of the Christian life is to bring 
them to the point where they shall have spiritual contact with the per- 
sonality of Jesus. We can kneel with them there, but it is He who 
must evidence Himself to them and give them help in His own way. 



72 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study IX.— ^esuei ©tttsiKe (5>alilee 3fnstrttctiiig; tlje Ctoelbe 

Third Day : Jesus' Solicitude for the Inner Circle. Mark 8 : 10-21 ; 
Matt. 16:1-12 

1. As we have seen, Jesus is keeping away from the province of 
Galilee. Read Mark 8: 10-13 f° r an account of an ominously brief 
visit to the Galilean shore of the lake. A company of local rabbis 
visit Him and ask for a "sign from heaven," whether a sign that He 
is a prophet from God, or that He is the Messiah, or that the King- 
dom is at hand as He has represented, is not certain. They ask it 
"testing Him." It was the custom of the rabbis (perhaps at a later 
period) to ask from each other when any new view was presented 
that a voice from heaven should give some word of corroboration, or 
that a tree should move from its place. The rabbis' conception of 
religion was one that largely divorced kindness from religion, and 
therefore Jesus' exhibitions of wonderful power exercised under the 
compulsion of compassion did not meet the technical demands of the 
rabbis for some cheaper grotesque "sign." But such a sign would 
not have constituted the revelation of the character of God which 
Jesus conceived to be His chief business as Messiah. Jesus "sighed" 
(v. 12) in a way that impressed His disciples. What emotion caused 



2. As they were sailing away from the Galilean shore Jesus spoke 
with solemn impressiveness about some great danger that threatened 
the inner circle. In His usual enigmatic style He called it the "leaven 
of the Pharisees and Herod." The disciples, noticing that they had 
forgotten to buy provisions in Galilee, thought that he was slyly hint- 
ing at the fact that they seemed to have been wary of buying bread 
in the Galilean market of Herod and the Pharisees. Jesus spoke 
severely to them about their lack of a sense of danger, but did not 
explain what He meant. Read Mark 8:14-21. The question that 
arises here is, what was it in the attitude of the rabbis and Herod 
that was in danger of spreading like yeast in meal, even among the 
inner circle of disciples themselves ? 

That in the Pharisees which Jesus disapproved is naturally to be 
looked for in their recent interview with him. There they had ap- 
peared to feel more kindly towards Him than they really did. They 
did not denounce Him as the Jerusalem rabbis had done, and came 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 73 



asking for, and apparently ready for, some sign. That is, they had 
been hypocritical. In Luke 12 : 1 Jesus distinctly states that the leaven 
of the Pharisees was hypocrisy. It seems strange at first to class 
Herod with the rabbis in this particular. But Mark has hinted in 3:6 
that there was some understanding between them. Luke 23:8 states 
that Herod had expressed interest in Jesus, though at heart he would 
probably have been glad to see Him disposed of. So an honest Phari- 
see once informed Jesus (Luke 13:31-32). Jesus recognized that 
Herod was a sly, fox-like man. Perhaps Jesus knew that the inner 
circle were in danger of falling into this Pharisaic and Herodian atti- 
tude of insincerity. We know from John's Gospel 6: 60, 66 that Jesus 
had already been a disappointment to many of His disciples. Mark 
has noted that Jesus' own family were disappointed in Him (3:20). 

The inner circle had seen Him throw away the chance to be crowned 
king (John 6: 14-15). John the Baptist had, with characteristic frank- 
ness, stated his own doubt directly to Jesus (Matt. 11:2-6). Just 
now the inner circle were in danger of continuing to associate with 
Him as though full of confidence in Him, although in their hearts they 
were beginning to doubt, especially since John the Baptist's execution, 
whether anything would come of His plans. Perhaps Judas' treachery 
was beginning to develop in the hypocritical secrecy of His own heart. 

According to a somewhat different interpretation, we see in Jesus' 
warning an allusion to the current misconception of the coming King- 
dom of Heaven which could look for evidence in any such "signs" 
as the Pharisees had just asked for rather than in such deeds as Jesus 
had just been doing. The inclusion of Herod with the rabbis seems 
rather less natural upon this supposition than upon the other. Matthew, 
who mentions the Sadducees instead of Herod (Matt. 16:6), says that 
Jesus had in mind the "teaching" of the Pharisees and Sadducees 
(Matt. 16:12). Perhaps Jesus had both the hypocritical spirit and 
the religious teaching in mind, for they were intimately connected. 

Personal Thought : " Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which 
is hypocrisy" (Luke 12:1). Insincerity is contagious. It is not easy 
to be frank with a person who is not frank with you. His insincerity 
naturally tends to infect you as yeast leavens meal. It is only one's 
daily intimacy with the honest Spirit of Jesus Christ, the "Spirit of 
Truth," that is adequate to prevent the contagion of insincerity. 



74 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study IX.— ^tm& ©utstfce (Galilee ^Fiustrtttttng; tlje Ctoetoe 

FOURTH Day: The Inner Circle Call Jesus the Messiah. Mark 
8:27-30; Matt. 16:13-20; Luke 9:18-21 

1. At a point presumably on the northeast shore of the lake, Jesus 
gave sight to a blind man. Read Mark 8:22-26, noticing the two 
evidences that Jesus tried to keep the matter strictly secret. Here 
again appears the use of means (cf. 7 : 33)> an ^ a ^ so a gradualness of 
cure that is unusual. Perhaps the blind man had been brought be- 
cause of the faith of his friends rather than because of his own, and 
needed to have his faith developed. The gradualness of his cure 
may have corresponded to the gradual development of his faith. 

2. Now Jesus takes the inner circle on another long excursion (cf. 
7:24), this time far to the northeast, near Mt. Hermon. Consult the 
map. He keeps them in suburban villages rather than in the city, 
and in this comparative seclusion, which Jesus seems to have distinctly 
planned, a great climax is reached. Read Mark 8:27-30. He first 
of all brings out the fact that popular opinion does not regard Him 
as the Messiah. The element in the nation that is favorable to Him 
will say no more than that He is the reincarnation of some great 
prophet, or perhaps that the spirit of some great prophet has entered 
into His body, as in an evil way spirits were thought to enter men's 
bodies. He then frankly, and with searching directness asks them 
the question that He seems never to have put to them before, namely, 
"Who do you think I am?" Peter replies that he considers Jesus 
to be the Messiah. According to Matthew, Jesus greeted this reply 
with an outburst of enthusiastic appreciation. Read Matt. 16:17-19. 
The great question to ask here is, Do the inner circle now for the 
first time conclude that Jesus is the Messiah ? If so, what had they 
thought Him to be when they first became His disciples ? Various 
answers may be given to these questions. If the ground of Jesus' 
solicitude regarding the inner circle advanced in yesterday's study 
be true, then Jesus here probes deeply into the very heart of their 
threatened hypocrisy and says to them, "If you have doubts regarding 
my Messiahship, speak them frankly out. Who do you really think 
I am ?" According to John's Gospel (1 : 40-42, 45, 49), some at least 
of these men had originally gathered about Jesus thinking Him to 
be the Messiah. Matthew (14:33) has reported them to have thought 
Him to be the Messiah. The reason for Jesus' outburst of appre- 
ciation over Peter's statement would then be His satisfaction in find- 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 75 



ing that, though so many have abandoned the theory of His Messiah- 
ship (John 6:60, 66), the inner circle still faithfully believe Him to be 
the Messiah. 

3. Examine Jesus' famous response to Peter in Matt. 16:17-19. 
That Peter still believed Him to be the Messiah, in spite of the fact 
that Jesus had done so many things that seemed un-Messiah-like, is 
due to special enlightenment from God. Since Simon has called 
Jesus "Christ," Jesus will call him "Peter," rock-like man, and 
then relapsing in this supreme moment into the language of the car- 
penter's shop, Jesus says that upon such bed-rock He can "build" 
His church. (In the Gospels the word "church" appears only here 
and in Matt. 18:18). This man, who sees in Jesus' character and 
activity a Messiah, is a basis for a church, and the powers of the 
under-world, which are represented as sitting in oriental fashion at 
the "gate," cannot by their counsels overthrow a church so founded. 
It will never pass into oblivion. Then Jesus speaks in the phrase- 
ology of the rabbis who hold "keys" to the doors of the Kingdom, and 
who "bind" when they decide that a requirement of the law applies 
to a certain situation, or who "loose" when they decide that it does 
not so apply. He says here of Peter, and elsewhere of the others 
(Matt. 18:18, John 20:23), that they are to be the authoritative relig- 
ious teachers of the world. The event has so proven, for the authori- 
tative religious teachers of the world to-day are not Rabbi Gamaliel 
or Rabbi Hillel, but Peter, John, and Paul who later joined the 
apostolic group. 

4. Jesus follows this outburst of appreciation by a most strenuous 
injunction to keep His Messiahship secret (Mark 8:30). If it be 
true that the inner circle has before this time regarded Jesus as the 
Messiah, we must suppose also that this is not the first time He has 
enjoined secrecy. Answer this question as best you can without 
spending too much time on it: Why did Jesus wish His Messiahship 
to be guarded as the secret of the inner circle ? 

Personal Thought : "But who say ye that I am ?" It is disciples 
reporting as the result of their personal experience with Jesus that 
He is the Christ of God that gives the church its perpetuity. Men 
do not see or know Him, but you see Him, and it is your report of 
what you see that is ordained of God to be the means of leading other 
men into your experience. Read John 14:19. 



y6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study IX— testis ©tttsOje (Galilee ^nstructinff tfje Ctoetoe 

Fifth Day: Jesus Perplexes the Inner Circle by Statements Re- 
garding His Approaching Death and Resurrection. Mark 8 : si- 
gn; Matt. 16:21-28; Luke 9:22-27 

During these weeks of exaltation in the far northeast, produced 
by Jesus' conversation with them regarding His Messiahship, He 
threw a dark shadow over them by making the statement found in 
Mark 8:31. The disciples probably regarded this as an instance of 
Jesus' favorite parabolic form of speech and did not think that it was 
to be taken literally. That no one expected the Messiah to die is 
evident from John 12:34. When Jesus did literally die, the disciples 
never dreamed of a literal, immediate resurrection (Luke 24:11). 
They gave up the theory of His Messiahship (Luke 24:21). Or 
perhaps when He made this statement they may have thought that 
He meant to say that He would literally die and not appear again 
to make His Messianic demonstration until some future time when 
the general resurrection should occur, for the three-day period seems 
to have been comparatively a short period of indefinite length. (Cf. 
Hos. 6:2, Luke 13:33). In any case, the statement indicated an 
unexpected postponement of the Messianic demonstration and a state 
of things utterly inconsistent with their conceptions of the Messianic 
program. They were thrown completely into confusion. See the 
evidence of this in Mark 9:10, 31-32. Read Mark 8:32-33. Accord- 
ing to v. 32 what was it that especially disturbed Peter and made 
him feel that his Messiah had blundered ? Why did Jesus turn so 
fiercely upon Peter and call him "Satan" ? That is, what was there 
in Peter's suggestion that seemed to Jesus so terrible a temptation ? 

Jesus seems to have had His disciples immediately about Him, 
and others more or less interested in what He happened to be saying 
to His disciples were nearby. Peter's warning to Him (v. 32) had 
no effect, for He immediately called out to the miscellaneous company 
in the vicinity, and when He got their attention, said something still 
more offensive. Read Mark 8:34-9:1. 

Personal Thought : Temptation must be summarily dealt with in 
its beginning. Before it has had time to gather strength and lay hold 
on the imagination the better nature must rise up in fierce and 
instant resentment. This disposition can be developed into a habit. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 77 



Study IX.— testis ©tttstte (Baliltt $n&txnttm% tfjc Ctoeltie 

Sixth Day: Jesus Perplexes the Liner Circle by Statements Re- 
garding His Approaching Death and Resurrection (concluded). 
Mark 8:31-9:1; Matt. 16:21-28; Luke 9:22-27 

I. In v. 34 Jesus pictures Himself leading a procession of men out to 
execution, each with a cross on his shoulder. Peter's ambitious spirit 
must have sunk within him when he heard Jesus say this "openly" 
(cf. v. 32)! No Messianic aspirant who taught such doctrine could 
hope to win a following! Perhaps the phrase "take up his cross" 
already had a somewhat proverbial force. In any case it meant 
readiness to die, and introduced those who heard it to an outlook 
very different from that which current political and religious enthu- 
siasm associated with the Kingdom of God. What did Jesus mean 
by "denying one's self" (v. 34) ? Notice the play on words in v. 35 
where "life" is used in two different senses. 

It becomes evident in v. 36 that Jesus is again facing the old temp- 
tation that appealed to Him at the beginning. Read again Matt. 
4: 8-10. The "life" which He expected for Himself and for all who 
would go His way after Him was the life which consisted in an endlessly 
developing friendship with God and man. Cf. John 17:3 and Luke 
10:25-28. It was this conception of life that we found Him holding 
in Matt. 4:4 at the beginning. Nothing can compensate for the loss 
of this (v. 27)' Whom did Jesus have in mind in v. 38 ? That is, 
who was it that had just been chagrined by Jesus' words ? 

2. After all this strange talk about a death and resurrection, 
Jesus makes it evident, in 8:38-9:1, that He anticipated a Messianic 
triumph. What particular thing He had in mind in this language it is 
difficult to determine. Explanations often suggested are, (1) what 
is described in 9:2-8; (2) the experience of Pentecost ("power," 
Acts 1:8); (3) the destruction of Jerusalem. 

Personal Thought: The readiness to deny to one's selfish inclina- 
tions the right to control and to take into account the interests of 
others is the essential condition of all friendship. The selfish man 
can, in the nature of the case, have no friendship with God or man. 
Such friendship is life. If a man were gaining a legal title to all the 
real estate in the world and losing his capacity for friendship (v. 36), 
he would be on the road to eternal pauperism. 



78 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study IX.— testis ©tttst&e (5>alilee Jnetrttcttng; tfce Ctoeltoe 

Seventh Day: The Three Leaders of the Inner Circle See Jesus 
in Messianic Splendor. Mark 9:2-13; Matt. 17:1-13; Luke 
9 : 28-36 

1. It is noticeable that all three Gospels (Matt. 17:1, Mark 9:2, 
Luke 9:28) speak of a week intervening between the perplexity into 
which Jesus had plunged His disciples and the event described in to- 
day's study. It was probably an extremely critical week in the his- 
tory of Jesus' association with the inner circle. They were probably 
debating whether they should continue longer with Him, or abandon 
Him as so many others had done. (Cf. John 6:60, 66, 67). It may 
well be, as someone has suggested, that during this critical week Jesus 
told them the story of His own temptation that has come down to us 
in Matt. 4. He may also have told them of the dove and heavenly 
voice at the baptism (Mark 1:9-11). 

At the close of the week Jesus took the three leaders of the inner 
circle up into a mountain for a night (Luke 9:32, 37) of prayer (Luke 
9:28). On the mountain a physical demonstration of Messianic 
glory was made to these leaders which convinced them that Jesus, 
in spite of His strange views, was the Messiah, and although these 
leaders would not tell the other nine what they had experienced on 
the mountain (Mark 9:9), their own unwavering confidence henceforth 
in Jesus' Messiahship turned the scale, and from this time on the 
whole company anticipated for themselves the political honors of the 
coming Kingdom with entire confidence (cf. Mark 9:33; 10:35-37). 

2. Now read carefully, with active imagination, Mark 9:2-13 and 
Luke 9:28-36, and answer these questions, in writing as usual: What 
was the advantage of this experience to Jesus ? What was the ad- 
vantage of it to the three disciples ? Note what Jesus and the two 
prophets were talking about, according to Luke. Peter proposed to 
act as host for the Messiah and His two guests (Mark 9:5). The 
presence of Elijah suggested the question in v. 11. 

Personal Thought: "This is my Beloved Son, hear ye Him." Jesus 
is authenticated from heaven not merely now by this voice, but by 
the recognized character of His teaching and personal influence upon 
the life of the world. Have you ever seriously made up your mind to 
do His teaching? "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the 
things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 79 



Study X.— ^estts ©utsiUe (Baliltt ^mtvmtins tlje Ctoelbe 

{Continued) 

FlRST Day: Jesus Exercises Power Over an Especially Obdurate 
Case of Demonical Possession. Mark 9 : 14-29; Matt. 17 : 14-20; 
Luke 9 : 37"43 

1. When the four came down from their wonderful night on the 
mountain they found the nine surrounded by a crowd of people, in- 
cluding some local rabbis who were debating with them. The peo- 
ple seem not to have been expecting Jesus and ran to greet Him as 
soon as He appeared. It soon developed that the nine had been cha- 
grined by a failure to cure a demoniac boy. They had probably all 
in turn tried their usual formula of exorcism, but had found to their 
dismay that it was not followed by the usual result. Read carefully 
Mark 9:14-29, sympathizing with the distress of the father who has 
seen his boy's life blighted and whose hope of help from the famous 
prophet-healer's company has so far been disappointed. 

2. To whom is the remark in v. 19 addressed ? In what did their 
faithlessness consist ? In this case, as in some others (cf. Mark 1 :26), 
the presence of Jesus occasioned a convulsion. The convulsion was 
unusually severe and nearly killed the boy (vv. 20, 26). Be sure to 
read vv. 22-23 m tne Revised Version. Jesus expresses surprise that 
there should be any question about His power being equal to the 
emergency. The only danger is that the father's confidence in Jesus' 
power will not be such as to permit the operation of Jesus' healing 
power. Express in a sentence or two the state of mind implied in 
the sentence, "I believe, help thou mine unbelief." 

3. And now the episode is ended. The crowds are dispersing, 
the glad father is leading his boy home able to hear and speak; and 
the nine inquire of Jesus regarding the reason of their failure. Why 
had they not been able to cure the boy ? Had the absence of the 
three leaders anything to do with it ? Had there been anything in 
the recent history of the company to account for it ? 

Personal Thought : The danger is that some great opportunity 
will come to us on a prayerless day. If we had begun the day with 
prayer we should have been in a frame of mind to notice and use 
the opportunity. A little more of the preparation which we mean 
usually to make would have sufficed, but the opportunity came when, 
for lack of preparation, we were not quite equal to the occasion. 



8o Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study X.—^z&vui ©tttsiUe (55aitlee ^mtxuttins tl)e ©toetoe 

(Continued) 

Second Day: Jesus Makes a Short, Secret Visit to Galilee. Mark 
9:30-32; Matt. 17:22-27; Luke 9:43-45 

1. For some reason which we cannot ascertain, Jesus found it 
desirable to make a secret visit to Galilee. He did not intend to 
remain in the province, but simply to "pass through." Perhaps he 
traveled by night. The return to the province where the rabbis and 
Herodians so bitterly hated Him made Jesus naturally revert to 
the mysterious subject of His death and speedy resurrection. The 
Twelve were as profoundly perplexed as ever over the statement. 
Read Mark 9:30-32. Why was Jesus so concerned to escape ob- 
servation in Galilee? Why were the Twelve afraid to ask for an 
explanation ? Perhaps their remembrance of Jesus' agitation the 
last time they had talked about the matter had something to do with 
it (cf. Mark 8:32 ff.). Or they may have remembered the strong 
language He had used when they had once before been slow to catch 
His meaning (cf. Mark 8:15-21). 

2. While Jesus was hiding in Capernaum an officer met Peter on 
the street, and knowing that Jesus had not been seen in Galilee re- 
cently, asked Peter if his master proposed to pay the two drachma 
temple tax. This was a kind of poll-tax for the support of the temple 
(cf. Ex. 30:11 ff.). He may have expected that Jesus, who had 
taken so pronounced a position against the "tradition" (Mark 
7:1-23), would also be lax on this point. Peter, either knowing that 
fesus had paid it in previous years, or being anxious to keep Jesus 
from playing into the hands of the authorities in such a way as to pro- 
duce the result of which Jesus had just spoken in Mark 9:31, assured 
the officer that Jesus would pay it. When Peter reached the house 
Jesus showed that He already knew what was in Peter's mind. He 
argued that since He was the Messianic Son of God, as Peter had 
recently declared Him to be, He (and probably also His twelve 
associates) were rightly exempt from the tax, but that under the 
circumstances it was better to pay it. Read Matt. 17:24-27. Why 
did Jesus think it best to pay the tax ? Does v. 27 mean anything 
more than that the fish was sold for a shekel ? 

Personal Thought : We are sometimes inclined to insist upon our 
"rights" regardless of the effect of such insistence upon others. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study X.— %z*ub ©tttsitie Galilee STngtrttctitig; tlje Ctoeltoe 

(Continued) 

Third Day: The Political Ambition of the Twelve. Mark 9:33-37; 
Matt. 18:1-6; Luke 9:46-48 

1. Here in Capernaum another crisis in the career of the Twelve 
occurs. At the close of these two long excursions into the north 
(Mark 7:24, 8:27) the disciples give discouraging evidence of the de- 
fectiveness of their Messianic conception and of their personal unfit- 
ness for the New Order. Read Mark g'-S3~37i an ^ answer as best 
you can these questions before reading the next paragraph on this 
page: Exactly what was the trouble among the Twelve? Did each 
of the Twelve maintain that he was the "greatest" ? Had there been 
anything in their recent history calculated to raise the question ? 
How would the teaching in vv. 36-37 remedy the trouble? 

2. There were probably two classes among the Twelve. There 
were a few leaders like Peter, James, and John, each of whom was 
inclined to anticipate for himself the position of prime minister in 
the new state. Perhaps the occurrence in Mark 9:2-13 had encour- 
aged their ambition. Against this idea Jesus made the statement 
in v. 35. There were other, more obscure, men among the Twelve 
who can scarcely have had any reason to expect the primacy for them- 
selves. Their intention was to determine shrewdly beforehand which 
of the more prominent men would probably be prime minister and 
to treat him so well as to be sure of special favors at his hand when 
he should come into his high office. To this latter class Jesus said 
in vv. 36-37 that instead of selfishly trying to court the favor of high 
officers, they ought to show kindness to those who could make them 
no return — for instance, to little children. "Anyone who is kind to 
a little child, as I am to this little boy, because of the child's connec- 
tion with me, is just as really showing kindness to me as if he were 
entertaining some great officer in my Kingdom " (v. ^j). 

Personal Thought : The extreme simplicity of life in the Kingdom 
of Heaven, as Jesus conceived it, is evident here. The Kingdom is 
an Empire of Unselfish Good-Will expressed in the ordinary 
relationships of life. We need repeatedly to ask ourselves, Do I 
enjoy doing for those who can make no return in kind ? For instance, 
do I feel an increasing degree of Jesus' interest in little children ? 



8a Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study X.— ^jtftua ©tttmtoe (Galilee %n&tv\xttin$ t&e QTtoetoe 

(Conttnued) 

Fourth Day: The Political Conception of the Kingdom Causes 
the Twelve to Blunder. Mark 9:38-42; Luke 9:49-50 

1. Some of the Twelve had seen a man trying to cure demoniacs by 
using Jesus' name and His formula of exorcism. This procedure had 
seemed to them undesirable and they had ordered him to stop. Read 
Mark 9:38-42, and answer these questions before reading the next 
paragraph on this page: What is the exact point at which the disciples 
were at fault here ? That is, why did they wish the man to stop his 
independent work ? How were Jesus' remarks in vv. 39-42 calculated 
to remove the fault ? Who are the "little ones" referred to in v. 42 ? 

2. Just how John's mind worked in the case of the friendly inde- 
pendent is not clearly evident. His mind was full of the political con- 
ception of the Kingdom, and perhaps he felt that such independent 
action was contributing nothing to the political establishment of the 
Kingdom. It was rather distracting attention from Jesus' regularly 
organized band of followers and so was detrimental to the new po- 
litical organization. Jesus said that they had blundered, for the 
spirit which prompted the man was evidently one of friendliness to 
the Messiah, and it was this spirit that determined the value of the 
action rather than its supposed political significance. "Now that 
enemies are so bitter and powerful no one will attempt a mighty 
work in my name unless he proposes to stand by me in the days of 
peril (cf. Mark 9:30-31) that are so quickly coming (v. 39). Any- 
one who does not now join our enemies is surely at heart a friend (v. 
40). Not the political significance of the act, but the spirit of per- 
sonal friendliness that prompts it, no matter how commonplace the 
act may be, gives it its value (v. 41). To discourage any friendly ad- 
herent of mine, however humble, may turn him away from the eternal 
life of the Kingdom, and this is so great a disaster that he who oc- 
casions it might better be in the depth of the sea" (v. 42). 

Personal Thought: We need to form the habit of instinctively think- 
ing of people whom we meet in their relation to the Kingdom of 
Heaven. Can anything be done by us for them that will make the 
work they may be doing for the Kingdom more effective ? Can we 
bring ourselves into a sympathetic relation to them that shall make 
us appreciate more truly what they are doing for the Kingdom ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 83 



Study X.— ^t&us ©tttsttoe (Galilee instructing: tljc Ctoclbc 

(Continued) 

FlFTH Day: The Ambition of the Twelve Imperils their Prospect 
of Entering the Kingdom. Mark 9:43-50; Matt. 18:6-14 

1. Jesus now turns solemnly upon the Twelve and warns them that 
if their dispositions are not changed they will not only fail to secure 
the high offices for which they are eager, but they will fail to enter 
the Kingdom at all and will fall away into the Gehenna of fire. He 
urges them to sacrifice anything which produces a spirit inconsistent 
with entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, even though it be so useful 
as a hand or an eye. Read Mark 9:43-50, and determine as best you 
can before reading the next paragraph on this page what it is that is 
called "salt," or "fire," and that keeps the spirit out of Gehenna. 

2. "Gehenna," or the "Valley of Hinnom," is the name of a ravine 
southwest and south of Jerusalem which seems to have been a dump- 
ing ground for all the refuse matter of the city. Maggots were always 
breeding in the carcases thrown there, and smoke was always rising 
from the fires that were kept burning to consume the refuse. It came 
naturally to be the symbol of the place where everyone that would 
defile the life of the Holy City would go. This place seems to be 
referred to in Is. 66:20-24. In order to avoid this place demanded 
for the moral sanitation of the new Kingdom and to enter the life of 
the Kingdom, any necessary sacrifice might well be made. 

Paraphrase of vv. 49-50: "I urge you not to shrink from making 
whatsoever sacrifice may be necessary (see vv. 43-48), for everyone 
will have to be preserved from moral decay ("salted") by such pain- 
fully fiery experiences as these sacrifices entail (v. 49). You need to 
take great pains to keep this spirit of self-sacrifice vigorous, for just 
as there is nothing with which to season salt and give it preservative 
power when once it loses its saltness, so if you lose your spirit of loving 
self-sacrifice, there is nothing else which can preserve you from moral 
decay. Therefore, see to it that you have this preservative (salty) 
spirit of self-sacrifice in your very hearts. And furthermore, let it 
lead each one of you to such preference of the other's honor as will 
prevent the occurrence of any further unfriendly and disgraceful dis- 
cussion about who will be greatest " (v. 50). 

Personal Thought ; Can you rejoice heartily in another man's 
success ? 



84 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study X.— ^Tesftts ©tttaiUe (Galilee ^strutting; t&e Ctoetoe 

{Continued) 

Sixth Day: The Twelve in Danger of Failing to Forgive. Matt. 
18:15-35 

We naturally infer from Jesus' stern language in the paragraph 
just studied that there was a good deal of hard feeling among the 
Twelve at this time. This inference is further sustained by a para- 
graph in Matthew. Perhaps not all of this paragraph was spoken 
by Jesus at this time (especially the part referring to the "church"), 
for Matthew seems to describe the utterances of Jesus logically rather 
than chronologically. There had probably been a good many un- 
pleasant things said by different ones of the Twelve, and it was neces- 
sary for Jesus not merely to put a stop to this, but to secure a readi- 
ness to forgive what had already been said and done. Read all of 
Matt. 18, especially vv. 15-35. Peter had received conspicuous honor 
from Jesus (see Matt. 16:16-19) and had probably consequently been 
the special object of jealous attack. He may have felt that he had 
been seriously wronged by some of the others. It is significant that he 
is the one who asks here how often he must forgive (v. 21). Perhaps 
Jesus took pains in vv. 18-20 (cf. Matt. 16:18-19) to relieve the tense 
feeling of the eleven by showing them that He had not intended to 
honor Peter to the exclusion of the others. The point of the story 
in w. 21-30 lies largely in the relative size of the debts, namely, $12- 
000,000 and $17! Imagine yourself in Peter's place and decide 
what Jesus intended this story to teach him. Read it carefully 
once more with this point in mind. To what motives does Jesus ap- 
peal in order to induce forgiveness ? The general subject of forgive- 
ness will be discussed in the "Studies in the Teaching of Jesus and 
His Apostles." 

Human life, with its many opportunities for friction and ill-will, 
is a situation in which to form the habit of forgiving. Note in vv. 
21-22 that it was the habit of forgiving that Jesus had in mind. 

Personal Thought : When you find yourself seriously wronged, 
remember that the wrong constitutes your chance to develop the grace 
of forgiveness. If you had not been really wronged you would have 
no occasion to forgive. You would not be able to sympathize with 
God in the supreme grace of forgiveness. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 85 



Study X.—^tsmi ©tttgiSe (Salto Snstrttcting; tfje Ctoelbe 

(Continued) 

SEVENTH Day: A Visit to Jerusalem not Recorded in Mark. John 
7:10-8:59 

The Synoptic Gospels give no account of Jesus' operations in Jeru- 
salem, although they give hints of frequent visits (Matt. 23:37). We 
are not surprised, therefore, to find John's Gospel describing at con- 
siderable length Jesus' activity in Jerusalem. Though these accounts 
cannot be accurately dated with reference to the Synoptic narrative, it 
is quite probable that the visit described in John 7:10-8:59 occurred 
in the general period which we are now studying. 

The chapters in John will be read more carefully later in the year 
when the Gospel of John is studied, but for the present read rapidly 
John 7:10-8:59. As a result of your reading, state in a sentence or 
two what the general attitude of the Jerusalem public towards Jesus 
was, and in what respects it resembled the attitude of the Galileans. 

"Looked at on the surface, the conflict of Jesus with the Jews seems 
but an ignoble waste of the noblest Being earth has ever known. And 
in many respects it was what it seemed. The antagonists of Christ 
were poor enough, especially when compared with Him, shallow, 
selfish, short-sighted men; bigots in creed and in conduct; capable 
of no sin disapproved by tradition; incapable of any virtue unenjoined 
by it; too respectable to be publicans and sinners; a generation too 
ungenerous to forgive sins against their own order, and too blind to 
see sins in it — they remain for all time our most perfect types of fierce 
and inflexible devotion to a worship instituted and administered by 
men, but of relentless and unbending antagonism to religion as the 
service of God in spirit and in truth. And to think of our holy and 
beautiful Christ, His heart the home of a love that enfolded the world, 
His spirit the stainless, truthful mirror of the Eternal, His mouth 
dropping with every word pearls of divinest wisdom — to think of Him 
hated and wasted by these men is to think, as it were, of the crown of 
God with all its stars dimmed, corroded, dissolved by mists bred in 
dismal swamps formed by the decayed life of ancient worlds. . . . 
But the ignoble was all on one side; on the other was a magnanimity 
that only became the more magnanimous in the struggle with the 
little and the mean. As the darkness deepened around the Hero's 
path, His heroism shone the brighter." — Fairbairn, Studies in the 
Life of Christ. 



86 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XL— ^tfitts ©tttstiie (Galilee ^nfitrtttting: tljt Ctoetoe 

(Continued) 

First Day: Jesus Resumes Public Teaching Outside of Galilee, 
and Instructs His Disciples Regarding the Sanctity of the Mar- 
riage Relation. Mark 10:1-12; Matt. 19:1-12 

Read Mark 10:1 and contrast its reference to public teaching 
with Mark 9:30. It will be seen however, that Jesus was still chiefly 
concerned with the instruction of the Twelve. 

The local rabbis of the region southeast of Galilee put a ques- 
tion to Jesus the answering of which they thought would involve 
Him in trouble. They probably imagined that He held a stricter 
view of the marriage relation than that presented in the law of Moses, 
and they hoped, by drawing Him out on this point, to make Him 
show His divergence from Moses, and at the same time alienate some 
of His followers by the offensive strictness of His views. They may 
have hoped, too, that He would get Himself into trouble with Herod, 
for Herod had divorced an Arabian wife in order to marry Herodias, 
and Herodias had left a husband. The "Peraea" ("beyond Jordan," 
v. 1) where Jesus probably now was, as well as Galilee, belonged to 
Herod. Everyone remembered what had happened to John the 
Baptist when he concerned himself with Herod's domestic affairs! 
The question submitted to Jesus did not relate to the adulterous wife, 
as is noted in Matt. 19:3, 9, for she was to die (John 8:5). 

Read now Mark 10:2-12. How does Jesus justify His divergence 
from the teaching of Moses ? That is, what is the meaning of v. 5, 
and what is the argument in vv. 6-9 ? 

Jesus' respect for the law of Moses appears here, as earlier in Matt. 
5:17, and also His quiet sense of superiority to it. He knows what 
God's original ideal of family life was. Read Matt. 19:10 to see 
how the Twelve felt about Jesus' strict ideas of marriage. In the 
following verses Jesus tells them that most men could not wisely re- 
frain from marriage, although some, for the sake of more effective 
service in the Kingdom of God, did so. Perhaps He had in mind 
John the Baptist, who was probably unmarried. 

Personal Thought : We deprecate the lax public sentiment that 
facilitates easy divorce, but we do not think enough about the de- 
velopment of such personal habits of thought and feeling in the years 
before marriage as will fit a man and woman to live together happily 
and with mutual consideration in the marriage relation. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 87 



Study XL— festts ©tttsfte (Saltlce $nsstxuttm% tlje Ctoetoe 

{Continued) 

Second Day: Jesus Teaches His Disciples the Significance of Child 
Life. Mark 10:13-16; Matt. 19:13-15; Luke 18:15-17 

1. The minds of the Twelve were filled with the political concep- 
tion of the Kingdom, and they were led by it into a fresh blunder 
which aroused Jesus' indignation. A company of mothers thought 
that there would be blessing for their children in the touch of the 
great prophet-healer, and came to Jesus with them. The Twelve, 
who knew that Jesus' mind must be full of plans for the new state, 
felt that He must not be bothered by the children and told the 
mothers to go away. When Jesus noticed this He was exceedingly 
indignant. 

2. Read Mark 10:13-16. Is there any connection between this 
paragraph and vv. 2-12? The last clause of v. 14 should probably 
be translated, "to such belongs the Kingdom of God"; what does the 
clause mean? What does v. 15 mean? That is, how would little 
children receive the Kingdom of God ? Give this point a good deal 
of thought and write out your views at some length. 

Personal Thought : Everything that Jesus touched He permanently 
dignified. The sick, who had before been neglected and abandoned, 
since He touched them are gathered into hospitals. The cross, which 
had before been the symbol of guilt, horror, and shame, like the gal- 
lows, since He touched it has been the symbol of loving sacrifice to 
be gilded and lifted high on church spires or worn in miniature upon 
the person. Little children, who had before been slightingly thought 
of, since He touched them have become the objects of tender regard. 
The care of infants, the early education of little children, engage the 
attention of the most skilful physicians and the greatest educators. 
In the New Order it is persons that receive supreme consideration — 
little persons, aged persons, sick persons, outcast persons, any kind 
of persons. Are you coming to feel a profound interest in all kinds 
of persons ? 



Studies in the Life of. Jesus Christ 



Study XL— 3>£ms ©tttsiUe Galilee ^nstttuttns tf)e Ctoelbe 

Third Day: A Pious Rich Man Turns Away from the Kingdom. 
Mark 10:17-22; Matt. 19:16-22; Luke 18:18-23 

1. The Twelve were thrilled with pleasure to see a wealthy young 
man of good family come running up to Jesus, kneel before Him, and 
ask Him as an expert to give a professional prophet's opinion on an 
important point. It was currently thought that righteousness con- 
sisted in a sum total of meritorious deeds. This young man asked 
Jesus to specify some deed of sufficient merit to make it certain that 
the sum total of his righteousnesses would be sufficient to admit him 
into the coming Kingdom. He addressed Jesus very politely as 
"Good Master," but Jesus warned him somewhat sternly not to use 
language with the polite and insincere conventionality of his class 
(v. 18). The conversation that followed developed the fact that he 
differed from many men of his class in that he was a man of clean 
life and honestly sincere. Jesus was greatly drawn to him. 

2. Read Mark 10:17-22 with active imagination. Notice in v. 21 
the two things that Jesus specified in reply to the young man's re- 
quest. Why did He ask him to sell out his estate and give the pro- 
ceeds to the poor? In answering this question consider what Jesus 
regarded as the dominant spirit of the New Order, the beginnings 
of which, at least, all who would enter the New Order must have. 
Why did He make the second request ? Write out in a few brief sen- 
tences a diagnosis of this man's case, stating clearly why it was that 
he did not do what Jesus asked him to do. 

Personal Thought : There is one question which must be asked 
of every individual, no matter what his situation in life: What kind 
of person are you ? The millionaire and his office boy must answer 
the same question. No one was ever long in the presence of Jesus 
Christ without finding out what kind of person he really was. It is 
worth one's while to kneel in prayer behind a locked door and say: 
"Lord Jesus Christ, show me what kind of person I really am." 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XL— ^tnus ©tttsiUc ©alike ^ntttvuttins t|)e Ctoeltoe 

(Continued) 

FOURTH Day: The Twelve Amazed at Jesus' Teaching Regarding 
the Ineligibility of the Rich for the Kingdom. Mark 10 : 23-31; 
Matt. 19: 23-20: 16; Luke 18: 24-30 

1. The faces of the Twelve fell when they found that their com- 
pany was not to receive the reinforcement of this prominent citizen. 
As they looked regretfully after the retreating form of the rich man, 
Jesus took occasion to say very impressively something so apparently 
unpractical as to draw from them an impatient remonstrance. Read 
Mark 10:22-27. Jesus always penetrated into the real heart of things. 
Why was it hard for the rich man to enter the Kingdom of God ? 
That is, can you state reasons why, in the nature of the case, it is 
specially hard for rich persons to develop the spirit requisite for the 
New Order as Jesus conceived it ? 

Read vv. 28-31. In v. 28 Peter, perhaps with some self-gratula- 
tion, thinks that he sees what it is that makes a man sure of the King- 
dom. Jesus says that the man who has made such sacrifice is better 
off in the present age, as well as in the age of the coming Kingdom. 
In what sense is the statement in v. 30 true ? Cf. for illustration Paul's 
statement in Phil. 3:8-11, and the significant catalogue of personal 
friendships in Rom. 16:3-16, 21-23, especially v. 13. 

2. Mark 10:31 contains a significant warning. Many who seem 
to have the first chance to enter the Kingdom will come last and may 
not get in at all, and those who seem to have the least chance may 
come first. It is easy to see how this statement applied to the rich 
young man. Is there any note of warning in it for the Twelve ? Re- 
member Mark 9:33-50. 

According to Matthew, Jesus illustrated this truth in a homely 
way by the story of "The Last First," a story in which certain work- 
men who seemed likely to be paid ofF last and to get almost nothing, 
were paid off" first and got large pay. Read Matt. 19:30-20: 16. 

Personal Thought: "He shall receive an hundred fold." God 
does not deal in a niggardly way with His children. He has great 
things to give them. If they endure privation for a time it is only to 
fit them to receive better things than those they were deprived of. 
He is not training them to do without things, but to be fit to receive 
things. 



90 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XL— Scene ©utsiUe (0alilee Sfnettttcttng; t&e Ctoefoe 

{Continued) 

Fifth Day : Jesus Starts for Jerusalem, Greatly to the Dismay of 
His Disciples. Mark 10:32-34; Matt. 20:17-19; Luke 18:31-34 

In 10:32 Jesus is vividly pictured as striding forward with fixed 
determination at the beginning of His journey to Jerusalem. Many 
of His disciples were amazed and afraid to follow; those who did 
follow went in fear. This state of things is hardly explicable from 
the context here in Mark. This is another place where Mark gives 
indication that his narrative is not complete. It would not seem 
strange that Jesus should have gone a number of times to Jerusalem 
during these months east of the Jordan (Mark 10:1). It is generally 
thought that John's Gospel, which gives so much space to the activity 
of Jesus in the capital, supplies material that should be noted here. 
We shall study John's Gospel later, but for the present read rapidly 
chapters 9-1 1 of John's Gospel, solely with a view to seeing whether 
they throw any light on the situation in Mark 10:32. It seems likely 
that the Twelve, who at this time were so sure of Jesus' Messiahship, 
did not feel the dismay about Jesus' going to Jerusalem that was felt 
by the main body of His disciples, to whom He might still not have 
been more than a great prophet, or to whom His Messiahship was 
as yet but a surmise. 

2. On the way to Jerusalem Jesus spoke again to the Twelve about 
His approaching death and resurrection. This time He spoke more 
in detail than before. Read again Mark 10:32-34, and note the vari- 
ous steps described, including the trial before the Sanhedrin and the 
deliverance to the Roman authorities. The subsequent narrative 
makes it evident that the Twelve still failed to understand Him. 

Personal Thought : Suspense is hard to bear. That Jesus found 
it to be so is indicated by a statement preserved in Luke: "I have a 
baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened until it be ac- 
complished!" (Luke 12:50). To His active imagination the details 
of a trial by the Jewish supreme court and of an execution at the 
hands of the Roman soldiers began to stand out in daily vision. If 
you find yourself facing some impending evil, remember, as did Jesus, 
that the suffering is not final. "After three days He shall rise again." 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XI.— ^cBUfi Out&itit Galilee ^instructing; tlje QTttielnc 

(Continued) 

SlXTH Day: The Personal Ambition of the Two Leaders Becomes 
Very Offensive. Mark 10 : 35-45; Matt. 20 : 20-28 

While Jesus' mind was filled with the thought of His approaching 
suffering, two of the Twelve determined to make a decisive effort to 
secure the coveted places of leadership in the new state. According 
to Matthew's Gospel, their mother, who, judging from the fiery tem- 
perament of her sons (cf. Mark 3: 17), may have been an energetic 
and ambitious woman, helped them in the effort. Read Mark 10:35- 
40 and Matt. 20:20-21. Jesus evidently felt that at present there 
was no hope of freeing their minds from the political conception, and 
so spoke as He did in v. 40. To whom did He mean to ascribe the 
bestowal of such honor ? Which one of the ten was probably most 
indignant (v. 41)? In v. 42 Jesus accommodated Himself to their 
political conception, and by an appeal to their Jewish pride tried to 
shame them into an abandonment of the spirit which characterized 
the great Gentile empires of the world. In vv. 43-44 Jesus stated 
the law of greatness in the Kingdom. Write out with considerable 
care answers to these questions: In general, what is a "great " man ? 
How does being a servant make a man "great"? How far should 
one go in "serving" another ? Are not many people injured by being 
"served" too much? Determine carefully what one's definition of 
"serve" ought to be. 

Jesus closes His conversation with the wonderful word in v. 45, 
reverting again to the thought which was uppermost in His mind at 
this time. It suggests the significance of the death of Jesus, which 
is a topic discussed in "Studies in the Teaching of Jesus and His 
Apostles." 

Personal Thought: 

" May every soul that touches mine, 

Be it the slightest contact, get therefrom some good — 

Some little grace, one kindly thought, 

One aspiration yet unfelt, one bit of courage for the darkening sky, 

One gleam of faith to brave the thickening ills of life, 

One glimpse of brighter skies beyond the gathering mists, 

To make this life worth while, and heaven a surer heritage ! " 



92 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XL— % estus ©tttsifce (Galilee JUnstntctms t&e ©toeltoe 

Seventh Day : The Last Stage in the Journey to Jerusalem. Mark 
10:46-52; Matt. 20:29-34; Luke 18:35-19:10 

1. Jesus stopped for a night at Jericho, in the midst of its beautiful 
palms and luxuriant vegetation, only fifteen miles from Jerusalem. 
He did two characteristic things here. The first is described in Luke 
19:1-10. Read the paragraph, remembering how Jesus had thrown 
the rabbinism of Galilee into a ferment by similar conduct there. 
Before the very gates of Jerusalem, the center of the most intolerant 
rabbinism of the nation, He will still stand firmly by His principles! 

Zacchaeus instantly responded with enthusiasm to Jesus' kindly 
approach. He evidently knew what Jesus' ideals were and deter- 
mined then and there to be kind and honest (read v. 8 again). In 
what sense had Zacchaeus been "lost" (v. 10)? To whom had he 
been "lost"? Answer as best you can. The subject comes up for 
discussion in the "Teaching of Jesus and His Apostles." 

2. The other thing that Jesus did is described in Mark 10:46-52. 
Read it with active imagination. It is significant that this blind man 
raised the Messianic cry (vv. 47-48), and that many in the great pro- 
cession undertook the long climb to Jerusalem with an enthusiastic 
sense of bringing the Messiah to His capital city. 

3. Review briefly the progress made in this last main division of 
the Gospel, namely, Mark 7:24-10:52. This you can do by turning 
back to Study IX, First Day, and reading rapidly the titles of each 
day's work through Studies IX-XI. 

4. We have come now to the last week of Jesus' life, with its swift 
development and the event that has made it the Central week in all 
human history. Before we begin its study we shall take compara- 
tively rapid surveys of Matthew's and Luke's narratives of the period 
we have just finished in Mark, noting what they add and the peculiari- 
ties of their view-point. 

Personal Thought: The profound loneliness of Jesus is very im- 
pressive. Crowds are all about Him, the hum of Messianic expec- 
tation is in the air. But no one understands Him. His nearest 
friends, the Twelve, fail utterly to comprehend His idea. A spiritual 
gulf separates Him from those who seem to know Him best. He is 
all alone and without sympathy. "And yet I am not alone because 
the Father is with me" (John 16:32). This trust in the Fatherly 
God we need to develop as our fundamental and ultimate resource. 



PART I 

STUDIES IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST AS 
PRESENTED IN THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS 

2. General Survey of the Life of Christ up to the 

Last Week, According to Matthew. 

Studies XII-XIII 



Introductory Note on Matthew and 
His Gospel 

Mark, as we have seen, was a Jerusalem boy and grew to young 
manhood under the conservative influences of the southern province. 
Matthew, at least during his manhood, was a resident of the north- 
ern province, a Galilean. He belonged to the comparatively irre- 
ligious element and was led, probably by a strong desire for money, 
to accept a position as customs officer under the Roman government. 
His office was in Capernaum, on the great Roman road that ran be- 
tween Damascus and the Mediterranean. He was attracted by 
Jesus' interest in the irreligious, and when finally invited by Jesus 
to join the inner circle of His followers, resigned his office, became 
a disciple, and finally an apostle. He seems to have been sometimes 
called "Levi" (Matt. 9:9, Mark 2:14). 

Papias (see Introductory Note on Mark and his Gospel), as quoted 
by Eusebius' Church History, III, 39, says: "So then Matthew 
wrote the Oracles (logia) in the Hebrew language and everyone 
interpreted them as he was able." Eusebius himself says (Church 
History, III, 24): "Matthew, who had at first preached to the 
Hebrews, when he was about to go to other peoples committed his 
Gospel to writing in his native tongue and thus compensated those 
whom he was obliged to leave for the loss of his presence." Just 
what this Hebrew (Aramaic) collection of "logia" was, and what 
its relation to our Greek "Gospel according to Matthew" was, is 
one of the questions connected with the "Synoptic Problem." (The 
"Synoptic Problem" is the problem of discovering the process by 
which the first three Gospels took their present literary form.) 

The Gospel, as will be seen in the enumeration of its characteristic 
peculiarities, is apparently written by a Jew for Jews (or for those 
under Jewish influence) and yet, if so, for Jews who did not speak 
Aramaic(i 123,27:33) and who did not live in Palestine (26: 36, 27: 15). 
It assumes considerable Jewish opposition to Jesus' Messiahship 
(e. g. 28 : 15), and is somewhat polemical. Its aim seems to be to show 
to some who doubted it that Jesus really met the demands of the 
true Messianic ideal of the prophets. 

Some statements in chapter 24 (e. g. v. 15) seem to indicate that the 
date of the Gospel in its present form was about the time of the de- 
struction of Jerusalem, 70 a.d. 

95 



g6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XII.— General JSmroep of tyz life of testis up to tfje 

Laist Wttk, accorUtng; to -patt&cto 

First Day: Peculiarities of Matthew's Gospel 

Certain peculiarities which will be noticed repeatedly in the survey 
of Matthew's Gospel may be enumerated at the start. 

1. Its view-point is strongly Jewish: 

(i) Note where the genealogy begins (Matt. 1:1-2) and contrast 
Luke 3:38. 

(2) Events in the life of Jesus are regarded by the author as ful- 

filments of Jewish prophecy, e. g. 2:15, 18, 23. 

(3) Strong emphasis is placed on the Jewish law and its spiritual 

fulfilment, e. g., 5:17-20, 23:1-3. 

(4) Frequent allusions are made to things especially interesting 

or intelligible to Jews, e. g. the last clause of 24:20, which 
does not appear in Mark 13:18; and many other places. 

(5) Emphasis is placed on the fact that Jesus came first to the 

Jews. Compare Matt. 10:5-6 with Mark 6:7 fF. 

2. Although its view-point is so strongly Jewish, it contains very 
marked denunciations of the Jewish leaders and emphasizes the ac- 
ceptance of the Gentiles in place of the Jews. Contrast Matt. 21 :43 
with Mark 12:9. It alone brings out the dramatic contrast of 
Matt. 27 : 24-25. Many other instances will be noted. 

3. Its parables of judgment are conspicuous, e. g. chapter 25, and 
its allusions to the judgment are somewhat frequent. 

4. It contains long discourses and makes the teaching of Jesus 
prominent, e. g. chapters 5-7, 23-25. 

5. Its miracles seem to be grouped, e. g. chapters 8-9; in general 
its arrangement seems to be logical, rather than chronological. 

6. Certain phrases or words are peculiar: "Kingdom of Heaven" 
appears only in this Gospel, but here almost to the complete exclusion 
of "Kingdom of God"; "verily," "your Father," "church," etc. 

Personal Thought: Each of the Gospels presents the person of 
Jesus Christ from its own view-point. One view may appeal to 
some minds more effectively than any other view. Someone has 
said that there are five Gospels: the Gospel according to Matthew, 
Mark, Luke, John, and the Gospel according to you. This gospel of 
your life is the only one that some will read. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 97 



Study XII.— (General Jbttrbep of tbe life of %zm& up to t&e 
last Wnk, gUcot&tng; to #tattl)eto 

Second Day: Events Preceding the Public Life of Jesus. Matt. 
1 : 1-25 

1. The Jewish character of this Gospel appears in the presence 
of the genealogy at the forefront and in the placing of the name of the 
great Jew, Abraham, at the head of the list. Family pride in Davidic 
lineage would make it certain that Jesus' family would preserve its 
genealogical records (cf. Phil. 3:5). The grouping in v. 17 was per- 
haps intended to aid the memory, and may be an indication that 
this Gospel was taught orally to classes of Christian converts before 
it took its present written form. 

2. A man named Joseph is informed by an angel in a dream that 
the pregnancy of the young woman betrothed to him is not an evidence 
of her shame, but has been produced by the Spirit of God; the child 
will be a son, who is to be called Jesus ("Jehovah's deliverance") for 
He will " deliver" the nation from sin (1:18-25). Read 1:18-25. Un- 
chastity in a betrothed woman seems to have been regarded as the 
same crime in a married woman. Joseph, being a "righteous" 
("just") or compassionate man, did not propose to subject the young 
woman to public trial and execution. See evidence of the Jewish 
standpoint in the title applied to Joseph in v. 20; and further evidence 
in vv. 22-23, which are probably the author's comment and not a 
part of the angel's message. The meaning of this quotation in its 
original context cannot here be discussed. 

The narrative in this paragraph is written wholly from Joseph's 
standpoint; nothing is said of Mary's experience. Luke will be found 
to write from Mary's standpoint. Is it probable that the message 
to Joseph in vv. 20-21 was understood by him to say that the son 
would be the Messiah, or that he would be a great prophet ? What 
is meant by the saving of a nation or a man from sins (v. 21) ? 

Personal Thought: "God With Us." There is no phrase that better 
expresses the final thought of men about Jesus. Whatever meta- 
physical difficulties may be felt regarding certain important theologi- 
cal and philosophical aspects of His relation to God, it is clear that 
the moral sense of thoughtful men increasingly finds Him to be "God- 
With-Us." He is such an expression of God in terms of human life, 
death, and resurrection as to constrain our worshipful recognition 
of Him as Lord and Savior. 



98 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XII — General Hmrtoep of t&e life of ^tew ttp to tlje 
last Wtzk, accorUino; to iftatt&eto 

Third Day: Events Preceding the Public Life of Jesus, (con- 
cluded.) Matt. 2:1-4:11. 

1. Soon after the birth of Jesus, magians from the East appear in 
Jerusalem inquiring for the new-born Jewish King, whose star they 
have seen in the heavens; they alarm King Herod, who refers them 
to the priests and rabbis; as a result they find the babe Jesus in Beth- 
lehem (2:1-12). The impressive figures of these magians from the 
East in the streets of Jerusalem stirred the city. Professor Ramsay 
has said that the magians were the ancient progenitors of two very 
different modern men, the conjurer and the man of science. There 
were doubtless different kinds of magians. These men in Matthew 
were quite different from Magian Simon in Acts 8:9-24. They do 
not talk like Jews, and were probably foreigners who had been at- 
tracted to the worship of Jehovah which was carried on by Jews 
scattered through all the eastern country. It is significant of Mat- 
thew's view-point (see First Day, § 2 of this study) that it is foreigners 
rather than Jewish leaders who recognize the Messiah. Read Matt. 
2:i-l2. How long had these magians been studying this sign in the 
heavens (cf. v. 16)? It is difficult to understand exactly what hap- 
pened in the scene described in v. 9. Perhaps on this night in Beth- 
lehem the star was in the zenith and shone with a brightness which was 
of peculiar significance to the magians. 

2. King Herod kills all the male infants in the village two years 
old and under, but the parents of Jesus escape with the child into Egypt; 
after Herod's death they return and settle in Nazareth (2: 13-23). Herod 
considered the Messiah simply as a political rival, who could be dis- 
posed of as so many other rivals had been disposed of by him. He 
seems to have summoned a special meeting of the Sanhedrin in re- 
sponse to the inquiry of the magians. Is this narrative written from 
the standpoint of Joseph or Mary? V. 15 is a quotation from Hosea 
11: 1, which in the original prophecy referred to the calling of the 
nation out of Egyptian bondage. V. 18 quotes Jeremiah 31:15, 
which poetically represents Rachel rising from the grave to weep for 
her children taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. Rachel was buried 
near Bethlehem (Gen. 35:19), and therefore this tragedy in Bethle- 
hem reminds the author of the passage in Jeremiah. There were 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 99 



probably only a few children killed, and, gruesome as the incident 
is, it is so trifling when compared with many other deeds of Herod 
that it probably attracted comparatively little attention. 

There is no passage in which the Messiah is spoken of as a "Naza- 
rene" (v. 23), but sometimes, e. g. Isaiah 53, He is spoken of as a re- 
proach, and such seems to have been the reputation of Nazarenes 
(John 1:46). The author's habit of interpreting Old Testament 
passages comes clearly out in this chapter. 

3. "John the Baptizer, a rough prophet of the wilderness, calls the 
nation to a baptism of repentance in view of the nearness of the King- 
dom of God (3:1-12). This passage has been read before. Com- 
pare v. 7 with Luke 3:7 and see whether you detect anything more 
strictly Jewish in Matthew than in Luke. 

4. Jesus is baptized by John the Baptizer, and at the baptism sees 
a vision and hears Himself declared by a voice from heaven to be the 
Messianic Son of God (3:13-17). This has been read before. Do 
you see anything in v. 15 that is suggestive of Matthew's peculiarities 
as stated in the First Day's study ? 

5. Jesus retires to the wilderness, where, after prolonged meditation 
and fasting, He successfully resists a fierce threefold temptation (4:1-11) 
Is there anything Jewish in Matt. 4:5 compared with Luke 4:9? 

" O little town of Bethlehem, 

How still we see thee lie ! 
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep 

The silent stars go by. 
Yet in thy dark streets shineth 

The everlasting light 5 
The hopes, and fears of all the years 

Are met in thee to-night." 

" How silently, how silently, 
The wondrous gift is given ! 
So God imparts to human hearts 

The blessings of his heaven. 
No ear may hear his coming 5 

But in this world of sin, 
Where meek souls will receive him still 
The dear Christ enters in." 

Phillips Brooks. 



ioo Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XII.— (Simeral §>uv\}t? of t\)t Life of %tm& ttp to tl)e 
last Wttk, accortJins to pattbcto 

Fourth Day: Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer. Matt. 4: 
12-7:29 

1. The division between Jesus' Galilean and His extra-Galilean 
ministry is not so clearly made as in Mark. The situations in Mark 
7:24, 9:30, 10:1 do not appear in Matthew, yet the main divisions 
made in Mark appear, though less sharply defined, as follows: 

1. Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer, Matt. 4:12-15:20 (Mark 
1:14-7:23). 

II. Jesus Outside Galilee Instructing the Twelve, Matt. 15:21- 
20:34 (Mark 7:24-10:52). 

III. The Last Week in Jerusalem, Matt. 21-27 (Mark n-15). 

IV. The Resurrection, Matt. 28 (Mark 16). 

2. The first subdivision of the first main division (4:12-15:20) 
is 4:12-25: The public career of Jesus begins; some time after His 
temptation, when the wilderness prophet has been imprisoned, Jesus 
appears in Galilee, catches up the message of John the Bapttzer, as- 
sociates four men with Himself, and soon becomes widely famous as 
a prophet-healer. Read this subdivision rapidly through. What 
characteristic peculiarity of Matthew appears in the first few sen- 
tences ? What in v. 17 compared with Mark 1:15? The quota- 
tion in vv. 15-16 is from Is. 9:1, where "Galilee of the Gentiles," or 
the "Gentile Section," that had been most exposed to the terrifying 
attacks of Gentile powers, had deliverance promised. 

3. The second subdivision is chapters 5-7: Jesus delivers a dis- 
course on the Kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness in which He 
defines His attitude towards the religious leaders of the nation and the 
law of Moses. These chapters we have already studied. Glance 
through them for characteristic peculiarities as follows: What 
general characteristic appears in 5:17-48? What special character- 
istic in 5:20? What specially Jewish phrase in 5:22? ^5:23-24? 
In 5 : 35 ? In 5 : 46-47 ? With 5 : 46-47 compare Luke 6 : 32-34. 

Personal Thought: "Ye are the light of the world" (5:14). A 
personality with clear, rational convictions regarding God and the 
life to come, giving faithful expression to these convictions in the 
life that now is, is a light to any group of men. On the small scale 
of our daily relationships such a one gives an eternal light "to all 
that are in the house" (v. 15). 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 101 



Study XII.-— (General §>ttrDej) of tfjc Life of ^tme tip to tfje 
last Wttk, StccoriJtng: to iftatt&eto 

FlFTH Day: Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer (continued). 
Matt. 8:1-17 

1. The third subdivision is 8:1-9:34. Read at present only the 
references in the following summary: In nine instances Jesus exer- 
cises healing power, and in one instance marvelous power over nature 
(8:26); the religious leaders disapprove of Him (9:3, 11, 34), but the 
people are enthusiastic in His favor (8:l; 9:8, 10, 31, ^). In 4:23- 
25 a general statement was made about Jesus' power as a prophet- 
healer; in chapters 5-7 a wonderful exhibition of His power as a 
prophet was given, and now in chapters 8-9 wonderful exhibitions 
of His power as a healer are given. 

Read 8:1-4, the account of a leprous man secretly cured, and com- 
pare it with Mark 1 : 40-45. Which is the more vivid account ? Mark 
emphasizes the relation of the incident to the general progress of 
Jesus' work; Matthew simply records it as an illustration of Jesus' 
healing power. 

2. Read 8:5-13: A Roman army officer urgently appeals to Jesus to 
cure his servant who is in a distressing condition because of palsy; 
he fears that Jesus may have scruples about entering a foreign house, 
and suggests that He cure him without going to the house; Jesus is 
greatly astonished at the captain s confidence in His ability to per- 
form cures at a distance, and is led to speak with enthusiasm of the 
place to be occupied by foreigners in the new Kingdom. This army 
officer was one of a somewhat numerous class of foreigners who, with- 
out becoming full Jewish proselytes, worshipped Jehovah and attended 
the synagogue services. In v. 8 he attributes to Jesus the power to 
produce results at a distance in the spiritual world through orders, 
which he himself possessed in the military world. Vv. 11-12 present 
the figure of the Messianic banquet. Note Matthew's emphasis of the 
rejection of the Jews in v. 12, which is absent from Luke's account 
(yet see Luke 13:29-30). Luke 7:3-5 adds an interesting detail. 

Personal Thought: Perhaps we do not sufficiently think of one 
thing that comes out here, namely, the personal satisfaction which 
Jesus feels when people have faith in Him. With this thought in 
mind, express to Him to-day your confidence in Him. 



io4 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XII I. —(General iimrnep at tlje life of 3fe6tt0 up to tlje 

Last Wttk, SCctOrtliTlff tO JHattljCtD {Continued) 

FlRST Day: Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer (continued). 
Matt. 9:35-12:50 

1. The fourth subdivision of this first main division (4:12-15:20) 
is 9:35-11' I. Read the following characterization and the par- 
enthetical references: It appears that among the "disciples" there 
is a nucleus of twelve men called " apostles" (10:1-2); the preaching 
and healing work of Jesus so develops (9:35) and the incompetence 
of the religious leaders becomes so evident (9:36) that Jesus finds 
it desirable to share His work with the Twelve (9:37-10:5). 

2. Read carefully 9:35-10:5. No account of the appointment of 
the Twelve is given in Matthew (like that in Mark 3:13-19). In 
what respect were these people that crowded the synagogues and 
market-places like shepherdless sheep (vv. 35-36) ? In what sense 
did they constitute a "harvest" (v. 37)? 

3. One wonders "what actually happened" when Jesus gave them 
authority over unclean spirits (10: 1). Perhaps He gave them formu- 
las of exorcism. Mark is as usual more explicit in describing how 
they healed the sick (Mark 6:13). 

4. Matt. 10:5-11:1 has been studied: The address of Jesus to 
the Twelve as He sends them out to preach the nearness of the King- 
dom and to heal diseases. Remembering the peculiarities of Matthew 
suggested in Study XII, First Day, see whether you find any of them 
in 10:6, 15, 18, 28, or elsewhere. 

5. The fifth subdivision of the first main division is 11:2-12:50. 
Read at present only the following characterization and the paren- 
thetical references: The antagonism between Jesus and the religious 
leaders now becomes more marked: they consider how they may bring 
Him to trial and execution (12:14), and He sternly denounces them 
because of their attitude towards Himself and John the Baptist (il : 18, 
i9» I2: 34, 39> 43-45)- 

Personal Thought : " Pray ye the Lord of the harvest." The King- 
dom is God's and the men who are to be gathered into it are God's. 
While we emphasize our own responsibility in the case, being ready 
to give ourselves and pray God to send others also, we need to guard 
against over-emphasizing our own importance, or trying to go be- 
fore we are sent. God is the Lord of the Harvest. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 105 



Study XIII.— (Bmtvul ilmfbcp of ti)t Life of ^teua up to tf)c 

iafiit Wttk, &CC0tfctRjr tO JHattljeiD (Continued) 

Second Day: Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer (continued). 
Matt. 1 1 : 2-6. 

As Matthew brings out the development of the opposition to Jesus, 
he has occasion to introduce again John the Baptist, w,ho had not 
been favored by the religious leaders. Read Matt. 11:2-6. Does 
John here begin to doubt the Messiahship of Jesus after having once 
been convinced of it ? Or does he here for the first time begin to 
surmise that Jesus may be the Messiah ? The announcement in 
3:17 seems to have been addressed to him. Also in John's Gospel 
he is clearly represented as recognizing Jesus' Messiahship at the 
beginning. Read John 1:29-34, especially v. 34. If John the 
Baptist did recognize Jesus' Messiahship at the beginning, he evi- 
dently acquiesced in Jesus' concealment of it from the public and 
cooperated with Him to the extent of retaining disciples of his own 
(Matt. 11:2). What, then, can now have occurred to make John 
the Baptist doubt Jesus' Messiahship and query whether He might 
not simply be another prophet like himself? In answering this ques- 
tion, consider the effect of prison life upon a man accustomed to the 
free life of the wilderness. Consider also this more fundamental 
question: In what respect had Jesus failed thus far to meet John 
the Baptist's ideals of Messiahship as presented in Matt. 3:7-12? 
Jesus' reply to John the Baptist contains no explicit declaration of 
His Messiahship, but He describes what He is doing in terms sug- 
gestive of John the Baptist's favorite Messianic prophet, Isaiah. 
Compare v. 5 with Is. 35:5-6, 61 : 1. He adds also His own personal 
exhortation to His lonely friend (v. 6). The Gospels give only very 
condensed accounts. It is probable that Jesus and John the Baptist 
had had much to do with each other after the baptism of Jesus and 
that this personal word from Jesus meant much to John. If John 
read the context of the passage suggested by Jesus' message, it must 
have seemed very significant to him! Read Is. 35:3-6. 

Personal Thought: The most conclusive evidence of Jesus' Mes- 
siahship now, as then, is what He shows Himself able to do. In- 
cluded in this to-day is what He shows Himself able to inspire men 
to do. If we yield fully to His inspiration, what we may do will con- 
stitute a practical and most convincing proof of His Messiahship. 



io6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XIII— (General Imrtoep of the life of testis tip to t|)e 
last Wz&k, &ccotUing; to JJtattheto (Continued) 

Third Day: Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer (continued). 
Matt, ii : 7-15. 

When John the Baptist's messengers had started on their journey 
to the Castle of Machaerus among the crags of Moab, Jesus talked 
to the people about His great prophet friend in terms of enthusiastic 
appreciation. The fact that Jesus had concealed His Messiahship 
and appeared simply as a prophet-healer had seemed to place Him 
upon the same plane with John the Baptist and the two had seemed 
to some to be rivals. Read the evidence of this in John 3:26-30, 
4:1-3. With this conception of the situation read Matt. 11:7-15. 
Imagine how these words of generous appreciation must have im- 
pressed the people. Vv. 7-8 seem to indicate that John had been 
criticised by some in two particulars. What were they ? Perhaps 
some thought that he had got himself unnecessarily into trouble. In 
v. 10 Jesus represents John to be an epoch-making man. He is the 
messenger of Jehovah who prepares the road on which Jehovah (here 
in the person of His Messiah) shall travel as He comes in judgment 
to begin His Reign (see. Mai. 3:1). In v. 11 Jesus seems to assume 
that John the Baptist will not survive to be a member of the King- 
dom of Heaven. In what sense is the humblest member of the New 
Order superior to this greatest man of the Old Order ? In personal 
character ? In knowledge ? In privilege ? Write your answer 
carefully. In v. 12 Jesus refers to the violent rushing of men to hear 
both John's and His own message regarding the Kingdom. They 
have stormed their way unintelligently towards the Kingdom, having 
no conception of its real character. Jesus has been obliged to escape 
from the crowds (Matt. 8:18). "For all have realized that John 
was finally proclaiming the presence of that which prophets and 
law long promised (v. 13). If you are willing to receive the state- 
ment, this is the Elijah whom we have been expecting to prepare the 
people for the Kingdom," (v. 14; cf. Mai. 4: 5-6). 

Personal Thought: Many times our doubts spring from depression 
of spirit due to physical causes. A student who deprives himself of 
sleep, exercise, and wholesome food is likely to doubt whether there 
is a God. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 107 



Study XIIL— (General gmrtoep of t|)c life of %t&m up to tlje 

iafit Wtt\, 9UcorBing tO iHattljCtO {Continued) 

FOURTH Day: Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer (continued). 
Matt. 11 : 16-12: 21 

In Matt. 11 : 16-24 Jesus turns upon the national leaders with their 
immediate following and speaks with stern reproach of their treat- 
ment of John the Baptist and Himself. He is not speaking of the 
masses, because the masses had been attracted both to John the Bap- 
tist and Himself. The priests and rabbis, with their followers, are 
like sulky, ill-natured children who will not play either wedding or 
funeral, who will not respond to any kind of approach. Jesus, with 
His deep interest in little children (remember Mark 10: 13-16), had 
doubtless often watched the little children playing games in the mar- 
ket-place. Read vv. 16-19. The wisdom of both John's and Jesus' 
course of action could be justified (v. 19). 

In vv. 20-24 He becomes more explicit and attacks certain cities 
in which He had spent most time. Read vv. 20-24. What char- 
acteristics of Matthew appear in this paragraph? "Hades" in v. 
23 is not the place of punishment, but is rather the place of the de- 
parted, and stands here for oblivion. One can imagine how the 
rabbis in these three cities felt when they heard of Jesus' utterances! 

Vv. 25-30 have been studied before in Study VIII, Fifth Day. 
Read them here again, appreciating Jesus' gratitude (v. 25) that, 
though the educated leaders were against Him, the disciples chosen 
from the uneducated classes, whom the rabbis contemptuously called 
" babes," were capable of receiving the truth He had to give. Write 
out the best amplification you can of the phrase "meek and lowly 
in heart," getting your clue from the conduct of Jesus. That is, in 
what do "meekness" and "lowliness" consist? 

Glance through 12: 1-21, the parallel to which in Mark has already 
been studied. Notice at least two characteristics of Matthew in the 
paragraph. Especially compare vv. 3-9 with Mark 2:25-28. 

Personal Thought: "Smoking flax shall He not quench" (v. 20). 
The smoking wick of flax in the lamp He will not put out. He ap- 
preciates the beginnings of character. He is not a critical inspector 
ready to condemn severely all imperfection. As He goes on His 
conquering way (v. 20) He nurses into strength and perfection even 
the imperfect beginnings of character. Do not think that because you 
are a tempted man Jesus Christ has turned away from you. 



io8 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XIIL— General J&mrbep of tlje life of ^estts up to tlje 
last Wnk, ^ccorflina; to JHattljcto (Continued) 

Fifth Day: Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer (continued). 
Matt. 12: 22-50 

The people again wonder whether He is possibly the Messiah, but 
the rabbis explain His power on the Beelzebub hypothesis; Jesus points 
out the absurdity of this hypothesis, and again solemnly denounces 
the element in the nation that opposes Him ; in contrast He speaks 
with enthusiastic appreciation of those who follow Him (12:22-50). 
Read 12:22-50. The parallel of this in Mark 3:20 ff. we have already 
studied. V. 27 shows that at least the attempted exorcism of evil 
spirits was not unknown outside the activity of Jesus. Notice the 
unusual expression "Kingdom of God" in v. 28. What peculiarity 
of Matthew in vv. 33-34 ? 

Such words as the rabbis had at first spoken when they advanced 
the Beelzebub hypothesis were significant because they expressed the 
state of the heart ; the venom of the viperous hearts had overflowed 
at the lips (vv. 34-35)- Even the thoughtlessly critical and wicked 
words that men speak will come up in the judgment, for such words 
are the expression of thoughtless and critical hearts ; much more 
such words as the rabbis had just spoken (v. 36). It is words, regarded 
as expressions of the heart, that reveal character (v. 37). 

What characteristics of Matthew appear in vv. 39-45 ? Unclean 
spirits are thought of as dwelling in uninhabited regions (cf. Rev. 
18:2). What was there in this generation that made it like the case 
described in 43-45 ? That is, with what previous period is the present 
condition compared ? Possibly with the period after the Babylonian 
captivity, when the nation seemed to be so thoroughly purified from 
all tendencies to pagan idolatry. Certainly the rabbinical religion 
which grew up in that period consisted largely of prohibitions 
rather than in positive directions, as we have already seen in the case 
of the Sabbath law. 

Personal Thought : "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth 
speaketh" (v. 34). The heart slowly fills up until it overflows 
through the lips. There is an irresistible tendency towards self- 
expression. The self must express itself. A man may yield himself 
unresistingly to impure thoughts for a long time without expressing 
them, but finally the heart will be filled and in an unexpected moment, 
when he had no intention of doing such a thing, he will speak the 
impure word. The heart of unresisted hate may disguise itself for 
a while, but ultimately the word of hate will surely be spoken. There 
is nothing hidden that shall not finally reveal itself. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 109 



Study XIII— (General g>ttr\)ej) of tlje life of pestles up to t&e 

iafit Wttk, £UC0tDtnff tO Jlattljeto (Continued) 

Sixth Day: Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer (concluded). 
13:1-15:20 

1. The sixth subdivision of the first main division (4:12-15:20) 
is 13:1-52: Jesus abruptly changes His method of public teaching 
for a time (v. 10) in view of the bitter opposition of the rabbis (vv. 13-15), 
and begins to present certain "secrets" connected with the Kingdom of 
Heaven in a series of illustrated stories, of which several specimens 
are given. This subdivision has been already studied. It is only 
necessary to glance over it looking for characteristics of Matthew. 
Are there such in vv. 16-17, 34-35, 40-42, 49-50, 52 ? 

2. The seventh subdivision of the first main division is 13:53-15:20: 
Jesus seems to be trying to avoid publicity (14: 13, 22), perhaps in 
view of the bitter opposition of the rabbis, and in view of the sinister 
interest which Herod, the murderer of John the Baptist, begins to take 
in Him (14:1-2); but a delegation of rabbis from Jerusalem attacks 
Him and draws from Him a bold denunciation of their sacred tradition 
(15:1-20). The parallels to almost everything here have already 
been studied in Mark. Does it strike you as strange that the inci- 
dent, 14:28-31, should have been omitted from Mark, which is Peter's 
Gospel ? The omission in Matt. 15:2-3 of anything parallel to Mark 
7:2-4 is very significant of Matthew's standpoint and readers. Is 
there anything characteristic of Matthew in 15:12-14? 

Personal Thought: "Let them alone" (Matt. 15:14). The dis- 
ciples were nervous over the opposition of the rabbis to the great 
truth Jesus had just expressed and felt that Jesus ought to do some- 
thing about it (vv. II-12); but Jesus was calm, and the ground of His 
calmness was His certainty that all opposition to the truth must in 
the end miserably defeat itself (v. 14). If one is only confident that 
he is right, he has no need to attack the personnel of the opposition. 
He has only with sincerity, courage, and unfailing good-will to voice 
his convictions and go tranquilly on his way. Those convictions, in 
so far as they are true, will surely prevail. 



io Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XIII.— Central Hmrbep of tiit life of ^t&m up to t&e 
last Wtt\, &ccortring; to Jftattfceto (Concluded) 

Seventh Day: Jesus Outside Galilee Instructing the Twelve. 
Matt. 15: 21-20: 34 

1. The second main division of the Gospel is 15:21-20:34. Its 
subject-matter has already been studied in Mark. Read the follow- 
ing characterization of it, noting the parenthetical references: After 
this decisive break with the rabbis, jesus remains in general 
outside of Galilee, making several long excursions away 
from the Galilean centers of opposition (15:21; 16:13; 19:1); 
He devotes Himself largely to the instruction of the dis- 
ciples; AT A CRITICAL PERIOD (l6:6) IN THE HISTORY OF THEIR CON- 
NECTION WITH HlM THEY CONFESS CONFIDENCE IN HlS MeSSIAH- 
SHIP AND He STARTLES THEM BY REPEATED PREDICTIONS OF HIS 
DEATH; HE SEEMS CHIEFLY CONCERNED TO DEVELOP IN THEM A 
SPIRIT OF BROTHER LOVE AND SYMPATHETIC SERVICE (chap. 1 8, 20:20- 

28). What characteristics of Matthew appear in 16:19 (cf. Mark 
8:29, 30); 17:24-27; 18:16, 17, 18, 32-35? 

2. We are not to study the rest of Matthew's Gospel until we take up 
the Last Week of Jesus' life, using all three of the Synoptic Gospels. 
However, it is appropriate here, while we are thinking of the peculiari- 
ties of Matthew's Gospel, to glance at such as are found in the last 
chapters of Matthew. Look at the following: Matt. 21:4, 28-32, 
43-45; 22:1-14; 23:3, 4-12, 13-36 (especially S5)i 26:56; 27:3-5, 9-10, 
19, 24-25; 28:11-15, 19. 

Personal Thought : "Teaching them to observe all things whatso- 
ever I commanded you" (28:20). The church of Jesus Christ is 
engaged in a great humane effort to share with the world all that it 
has received from Jesus Christ. In this effort to share it simply 
imitates its Lord who said: "All things that I heard from my Father 
I have made known unto you" (John 15:15). 

" Needs must there be one way, our chief 
Best way of worship : let me strive 
To find it, and when found, contrive 
My fellows also take their share ! 
This constitutes my earthly care : 
God's is above it and distinct, 
For I, a man, with men am linked 
And not a brute with brutes ; no gain 
That I experience, must remain 
Unshared." 

Browning, Christmas E-ve. 



PART I 

STUDIES IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST AS 
PRESENTED IN THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS 



3. General Survey of the Life of Jesus Christ up 
to the Last Week, According to Luke. Studies xiv- 
xvii. 



Introductory Note on Luke and His 
Gospel 



The early tradition of the church represents a man named Luke 
to have been the author of the third Gospel and of the Book of Acts. 
In the Pauline correspondence a man named Luke is several times 
mentioned among Paul's friends. He was Paul's companion in the 
Roman prison (Col. 4:14; Philem. 24; II Tim. 4:11). In Col. 
4:11-14 Paul calls him the "beloved physician" and speaks of him 
as though he were not "of the circumcision," that is, not a Jew. Cer- 
tain sections of the Book of Acts present the narrative in the first per- 
son plural (the so-called "we sections"). If this use of the pronoun 
indicates that Luke was with Paul during the periods covered by 
these sections, then Luke joined Paul just before Paul left Asia Minor 
for Macedonia (Acts 16:10), accompanied him to Philippi (16:17), 
but no further (17:1). Several years later he joined Paul at Philippi 
as Paul was returning to Jerusalem (20:6), went with Paul to Jeru- 
salem (21:17), and was probably with him during his two years of 
prison life in Caesarea, for he accompanied him to Rome (27 : 1 ; 28 : 16). 
According to one manuscript, Acts n :28 reads: "As we were gath- 
ered together one of them, Agabus by name, etc," which would indi- 
cate that Luke was a member of the church in Antioch. 

The personality of Luke appears more distinctly in his Gospel 
than does the personality of the other Gospel authors in their respec- 
tive Gospels. His Gospel has an "author's preface" (Luke 1:1-4), 
and very decided evidences of his personal taste appear in his selec- 
tion of material and in his literary presentation of it. We may think 
of him as a physician of literary tastes, a gentleman of exceedingly 
amiable disposition, a man trained to the broad Pauline view of 
Christianity and possessed by a certain Greek love of the joyous and 
beautiful that has thrown a golden atmosphere about his "Gospel 
Beautiful." 

He states in the preface that he had not known Jesus personally. 
He wrote at a time when Christian preachers, or catechetical teach- 
ers were drawing up narratives of the Lord's life and teaching, prob- 
ably many of them oral, but some of them written sketches. Luke's 
Gospel contains a considerable amount of material not found in any 
other Gospel, some of it exceedingly important, e. g., chapter 15, 24: 13- 
113 



ii4 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



35, etc. How it came to pass that he alone has this material, and 
where he found it, are questions that arise in connection with the 
"Synoptic Problem." He seems to have made original investiga- 
tion (i : 3), and to have had acquaintance with the family of Jesus, 
perhaps even with Jesus' mother herself (cf. 2:19, 51). If he was 
with Paul during the two years of Caesarean imprisonment (Acts 23:33; 
24:27), he would have had ample opportunity to make research in 
Galilee and Jerusalem. 

The determination of the date of the Gospel is connected with the 
discussion of the last sentence in the Book of Acts. Did the author 
of Acts end his narrative with the mention of the Roman imprison- 
ment, 60-62 a.d., because he wrote his book at that time ? If so, the 
Gospel of Luke must have been written still earlier (Acts 1:1). The 
more widely accepted opinion is that both Gospel and Acts were writ- 
ten after the destruction of Jerusalem, in 70 a.d. It was pretty cer- 
tainly written for Gentile readers, and therefore for the Pauline 
churches. 

The Gospel is dedicated to a man named Theophilus, with the 
purpose of putting into permanent and reliable form the informa- 
tion which he had received when being prepared by the catechists 
for church membership (1:1-4). The fact that the title "most ex- 
cellent" is applied also to distinguished Roman officials (Acts 23:26; 
24: 3; 26:25) leads to the surmise that Theophilus was a gentleman 
of some social, if not official, dignity. Luke seems to take pains in 
the Book of Acts to bring Roman officials into favorable prominence, 
and possibly this indicates that Theophilus was one of them. In 
Acts 1 : 1 the title is dropped, which fact Dr. Zahn considers to be 
evidence that Theophilus had at the time the second volume was 
written become a full member of the Christian brotherhood, in which 
social and official titles would no longer be recognized. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 115 



Study XIV.— ©bents Jprmfcmg; t&e fjublic'life of 3fa«w 
First Day: General Survey of Luke's Gospel 

1. Read the Introductory Note on Luke and his Gospel. 

2. A general outline of the Gospel in comparison with Mark and 
Matthew appears in the following scheme: 

Mark and Matthew 

Introduction. — Events Preceding the Public Life of Jesus. 
Mark 1:1-13 (Matt. 1:1-4:11). 
I. Jesus in Galilee as Prophet-Healer. Mark 1 : 14-7: 23, (Matt. 
4:12-15:20). 
II. Jesus Outside Galilee Instructing the Twelve. Mark 7:24-10: 
52 (Matt. 15:21-20:34). 

III. The Last Week in Jerusalem. Mark n-15, (Matt. 20-27). 

IV. The Resurrection. Mark 16 (Matt. 28). 

Luke 

Introduction. — Events Preceding the Public Life of Jesus. 
1:1-4:13. 
I. Jesus' Gracious Work Before the Journey to Jerusalem. 4. 

14-9:50. 
II. The Long Eventful Journey to Jerusalem, 9:51-19:28. 

III. The Last Week in Jerusalem, 19:29-23:56. 

IV. The Resurrection, 24. 

The distinction between the period of activity in Galilee and the: 
period outside of Galilee before the final journey to Jerusalem began, 
which is so carefully made by Mark, and clearly, though less care- 
fully, by Matthew, disappears entirely in Luke. Between 9:17 and 
9:18 Luke very strangely omits anything parallel to the entire sec- 
tion Mark 6:45-8:26, (Matt. 14:22-16:12), which contains an ac- 
count of the excursion into the north country about Tyre and Sidon 
(Mark 7:24, Matt. 15:21). That is, Luke 9:i7 = Mark 6:45 and 
Luke 9: 18 = Mark 8:26. Moreover, the scene of Peter's famous 
confession of Jesus' Messiahship, which Mark and Matthew carefully 
place far to the northeast of Galilee in the region of Caesarea-Philippi 
(Mark 8:27, Matt. 16:13), Luke does not describe geographically 






n6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



at all. Read Luke 9:17-18. In Luke's Gospel there is simply a 
period of activity before the journey to Jerusalem (4:14-9:50) and 
the journey to Jerusalem (9:51-19:28). Some of the most beauti- 
ful things in all the Gospels are found in this last division. Some- 
one has called this journey to Jerusalem the string on which Luke's 
pearls of narrative are strung. See where the string shows through 
at 9 : 5 J > 57; IO:I > 3 8 ; J 3 : 22; 18:31, 35; 19:1, 11, 28. 

Personal Thought : In this Gospel less emphasis is laid on the 
places where Jesus did this or said that. His own person, deeds, 
and words shine out with a power and beauty above all details of 
time and place. In your study let the picture of the eternal Christ 
stand out more conspicuously than this necessary framework of geo- 
graphical and historical detail. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 117 



Study XIV.— ©bents fkeceiing; tlje f)ttbltc life of 3Jesus 

Second Day: Characteristic Peculiarities of Luke's Gospel 

Certain interesting peculiarities of Luke's Gospel will be noticed 
repeatedly in the brief study of Luke that is to follow. Take pains 
to look up the few instances of each cited below. 
1 1. Luke has the feeling of the historian, recognizing the connection 
of his narrative with general history: 2:2, 3:1-2 (cf. Matt. 3:1). 

2. Yet Luke's detailed chronological and geographical references 
are very indefinite: 5:12, 17; 6:6; 8:22; 20:1. 

3. He is broad and non-Jewish in his outlook, recognizing appre- 
ciatively the Gentiles and Gentile interests, yet without Matthew's 
stern condemnation of the Jews. Compare again Luke 3:38 and 
Matt. 1 : 2. Luke also makes comparatively few references to the 
fulfilment of Jewish prophecy. For other illustrations of his non- 
Jewish temperament see 2:32; 4: 26-27; 10:33; I 7 : x 6- 

4. Women are given a peculiar prominence. The infancy nar- 
rative is written wholly from Mary's standpoint, Luke 1:26-56; 
(from Joseph's standpoint, Matt. 1:19-25). See also 2:36; 8:1-3; 
10:38; 23:28. 

5. Kindly allusions to the poor and outcast, or those in humble 
station, 2:8; 14:13, 21; 16:20-31; 18:9-14; 23:39-43. Especially 
contrast Luke 6:20-21 with Matt. 5:3, 6. 

6. In close connection is Luke's emphasis of the compassionate 
graciousness of Jesus and of God, e. g., the parables of chap. 15. 

7. In narratives of healing, emphasis upon details calculated to 
awaken sympathy and which therefore show Jesus' sympathetic 
response. Notice the peculiar words "only" and "dear," 8:42; 
9:38 (see also the last clause of v. 42); 7:2. Notice particularly 7: 12. 
; 8. Occasional indications that the author is a medical man, pos- 
sibly 4:35 (cf. Mark 1:26); 4:38 (Mark 1:30); 5:12 (Mark 1:40)? 

9. Special mention of Jesus' prayers, e. g., 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:28, 
and of prayer in general, 11:5-13; 18:1-8. 

Personal Thought : In the long process of gathering material for 
his Gospel, Luke's own spirit had evidently become beautifully sen- 
sitive to the appeal made by the needy side of life. The great effect 
of your study of the Gospels ought to be to develop sympathy with 
those who have fallen away from social and religious centers. 



n8 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XIV.— (Stents fkecetiiiig; t\\t public life of ^t&m 

Third Day: Characteristic Peculiarities of Luke's Gospel (con- 
cluded) 

10. Frequent references to the Holy Spirit, e. g., 1:15, 41, 67; 4: 
14; 10:21 (cf. Matt. 11:25). So also in the Book of Acts. 
^Ti. Reverential treatment of the apostles. Professor Bruce has 
noted the significant omission of certain incidents in which the apos- 
tles appear in an unfavorable light. Compare Luke 9 22-23 w ' tn 
Mark 8:31-33. Luke has nothing corresponding to Mark 8:14-21, 
Mark 10:35, Mark 14:50. Luke seems to apologize for the apostles 
in Luke 9:45 (cf. Mark 9:32), and Luke 22:45 (cf. Mark 14:37). 

12. Jesus is often called in narrative "the Lord," Luke 7: 19 (cf. 
Matt. 11:2), and is "glorified" as in the Pauline letters, 13: 17. 

13. Similarity to Pauline thought. If Luke was the companion 
of Paul it is natural to suppose that traces of Paul's influence would 
be evident in Luke's Gospel. The language of Luke 22:19-20 is 
different from that of Matt. 26:26-28 and Mark 14:22-24, but is 
like I Cor. 11:24-25. Luke alone records a special appearance of 
Jesus to Peter after the resurrection (24:34), which is also men- 
tioned in I Cor. 15:5. The outline of the world program in Luke 
21:24 is like Rom. n, especially 11:25. Adam and Christ at the 
two ends of the genealogy in Luke 3 suggest the Pauline comparison 
of Adam and Christ in Rom. 5:12-21 and I Cor. 15:22, 45. The 
entire spirit of the Gospel is that of I Cor. 13. 

14. An atmosphere of gladness and buoyancy which make it the 
"Gospel Beautiful." (This, too, reminds one of Paul's singing 
heart, Phil. 4: 4-7.) 

15. Certain peculiarities of literary style like the indefinite pro- 
noun, translated into English by the word "certain," a "certain man," 
10:25-38. 

Personal Thought .-Angels sing in the pages of this "Gospel Beau- 
tiful"; childless parents break out into devoutly jubilant hymns; 
humble folk of low degree find themselves exalted by God; penitent 
outcasts come weeping and go with the peace of forgiveness filling 
their hearts. Chief among them all walks "the Lord" in a golden 
light "throughout every city and village preaching and showing glad 
tidings of the Kingdom of God" (8:1). Yield yourself to the won- 
derful spell of this Gospel in your daily study. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ ng 



Study XIV.— €tents fJtmUtng; tbe fjttbltc life of ^csug 
Fourth Day: Two Sons Promised. Luke 1:5-56 

We are to take a rapid survey of the events preceding the public 
life of Jesus as Luke records them. An angel promises the childless 
priest Zacharias, and his wife well on in years, a son who shall reform 
the nation; also to their young, unmarried kinswoman, Mary of Naz- 
areth, an angel promises the supernatural conception of a son who shall 
revive the Davidic dynasty and establish the Messianic Kingdom (1:5- 
56). This paragraph has already been studied with reference to 
the light thrown by it upon the character of John the Baptist. Read 
it now, watching for any of the characteristic peculiarities of Luke 
mentioned in the studies of the last two days, especially those num- 
bered 1, 4, 5, 10, 14. Try to realize the feeling of the old priest. 
There were many more priests than could be employed in the 
temple services. Consequently they were divided into "courses" 
(cf. I Chron. 24), and from these selections were made. This plain 
old country priest had the great good fortune in his old age to be 
summoned to Jerusalem and even to get a chance to burn the morn- 
ing incense. What hint of his temperament do vv. 18-20 contain? 
Are there any other hints in the paragraph as to his character ? 

Is it probable that Mary composed the hymn in vv. 45-55 on the 
spot in reply to Elizabeth and preserved it so that it ultimately reached 
Luke ? Or did she compose it at her leisure as an expression of her 
feeling during all this period ? Or was it a hymn composed by some 
Christian poet later as a fit expression of what Mary's feeling at this 
time must have been ? These, of course, are minor questions. What 
is the dominant thought of the hymn ? 

Personal Thought : "Thou shalt have joy and gladness for he shall 
be great in the sight of the Lord." The old priestly patriot was to 
contribute a son to Jehovah's people. In the use that God would 
make of him, even though his life was to end in tragedy, the father 
was to find his own joy and gladness. Tn the commercialism of our 
age it is not always the ambition even x of Christian parents to see 
their children used by God in His Kingdom. The college student's 
great decision to be a missionary or a minister is not always welcomed 
at home with the same enthusiasm that would be felt over an ap- 
pointment to an important business position with a large salary. 
The commercial standard can surely be displaced by lives that p 
sistently adopt the high, true standard of value that the gospel teaches 



::. 



i2o Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XIV.— (Etoentg $tmtting; tljc fl)ttblic life of %tsu6 
Fifth Day : The Two Births. Luke i : 57-2 : 20 

1. The old priest's son John is born and grows up into young man- 
hood in the wilderness (1 : 57-80). Read the paragraph, especially 
watching for any characteristic peculiarities of the Gospel. The 
old priest's hymn divides into five strophes: 68-69, 7°~7 2 > 73'75> 
76-77, 78-79. What is the dominant thought of the hymn ? 

2. Mary's son is born in Bethlehem under the protection of Joseph, 
the man to whom she was betrothed, and on the birth-night angels an- 
nounce to shepherds watching their flocks in the neighboring country 
that the Messiah is born in Bethlehem (2: 1-20). Read 2: 1-20, watch- 
ing for characteristic peculiarities, especially those numbered I, 5, 14. 
The Roman government was taking a census for purposes of taxation, 
and it was at the office opened in Bethlehem that Joseph had to report. 
Perhaps his wife had also to report, or it may be that the parents were 
desirous to have the child born in the old ancestral village. Read 
once more vv. 8-14, compelling your imagination to produce the pic- 
ture for you verse by verse. Edersheim suggests that shepherds were 
"under the ban of rabbinism on account of their necessary isolation 
from religious ordinances and their manner of life, which rendered 
strict religious observance entirely unlikely, if not impossible." He 
thinks that these were not ordinary shepherds, but shepherds in charge 
of the temple flocks. In what particulars did the experience of this 
night affect the shepherds' subsequent outlook upon life ? The 
"highest" (v. 14) means the highest heavens contrasted with the 
earth. What does "Glory to God" mean? Notice the ideal of 
civilization expressed in the second line of v. 14. It was only a few 
persons who heard the shepherds' message (v. 18), and most of those 
were probably dead when, thirty years later, Jesus began His public 
life. Any of them who were still living might not have thought of 
identifying the Nazareth carpenter with the Bethlehem babe. Luke's 
source of information is evidently indicated in v. 19. 

Personal Thought: "To guide our feet into the way of peace" 
(1:79). The ideal of the Christian life is peace. The dusty road 
of daily life is to be a way of peace. Are your feet being guided into 
this roadway of peace ? Or does the present fret you and the future 
make you apprehensive ? On the starlit plains of your own heart, 
if you could only hear them, are voices singing the old Bethlehem 
song, " Be not afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy." 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 121 



Study XIV.— ©toents fJmefcing; t&e |3ufaUc life of ^t&w 
Sixth Day: The Two Temple Scenes. Luke 2:21-52 

1. When the child Jesus is brought into the temple a devout citizen 
of Jerusalem and a very aged prophetess recognize Him as the future 
Messiah (2:21-38). Read 2:21-38 looking for characteristics of 
Luke, especially in vv. 26, 27, 32, 36-38. About six weeks after Jesus' 
birth (Lev. 12:2-4) the parents went from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, 
which was close by, and made the temple offering prescribed by law 
for families in moderate circumstances (Lev. 12:8). There, perhaps 
in some one of the colonnades, they were met by a very devout, hope- 
ful man whose peculiarity had been the conviction that he should 
live to see the Messiah. Does v. 29 indicate old age ? V. 34 is an 
oracular utterance: the rabbis will "fall" under His condemnation 
and many humble people will "rise up" under His touch; the young 
mother, now so proud, will many years later stand by her son's cross; 
He will look into the hearts of men with the penetration of a Mes- 
sianic judge. 

2. Jesus grows up a promising boy ; when He visits Jerusalem at 
the age of twelve He has an experience in the temple which greatly im- 
presses His mother (2:39-52). Read 2:39-52. 2:39 is character- 
istically different from Matt. 2:23. The statement in 2:39 is very 
general and is not necessarily inconsistent with Matt. 2: 13-23. It 
would seem that residence in a foreign country would have been 
something that Luke would have liked to mention had he known it. 
This first visit to the temple was a great and fondly anticipated event in 
any boy's life. He came at the age of twelve under the law. The 
experience evidently aroused powerful emotions in the heart of Jesus. 
Jesus' conduct seemed to His parents like surprising insubordination 
(v. 48). V. 51 says that nothing like it was ever repeated. Jesus told 
them that they should have known where to find Him (v. 49 R. V.). 
Their conception of Messiahship was evidently different from that de- 
veloping in Jesus (v. 50). Luke emphasizes the development of Jesus 
(vv. 40, 52). What, if anything, does this incident reveal regarding 
the personal religious life of the " boy Jesus" (2:43 R. V.) ? 

Personal Thought: "He was subject unto them" (v. 51). There 
is no better evidence of greatness than the ability to hold one's self 
steadily subject to legitimate control, whether that control be exer- 
cised by a person or by a great idea. 



122 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XIV.— Ctoentg f3tm&injr tlje fjttbltc life of %tm& 

Seventh Day: John and Jesus Emerge from Private Life. 
Luke 3: 1-4:13 

1. The old priest's son John comes out from the wilderness, summons 
the nation to reform and to make public confession of penitence by being 
baptized (3:1-20). This paragraph has been previously studied. 
Read it again, noting the Lukan characteristics in vv. 1-3. In vv. 
5-6 Luke quotes more of Isaiah than do Mark and Matthew. What 
statements in these additional verses made them specially attractive 
to Luke? Luke speaks of "multitudes" in v. 7 where Matthew 
(3:7), with his strong Jewish interest, mentions "Pharisees and Sad- 
ducees." In vv. 10-14 Luke gives a fuller account of John the Bap- 
tist's preaching than does Matthew. In the selection of this additional 
material what characteristics of Luke appear ? Luke characteris- 
tically mentions in v. 18 (R. V.) another side of John's preaching. 

2. Jesus, at the age of about thirty, is baptized by John, and at His 
baptism prays and has an inaugural vision of the Holy Spirit coming 
down to Him from heaven in dove form; His genealogy is traced 
through David, Abraham, and Adam to God (3:21-38). This para- 
graph has also been studied before. Read it again, noting the char- 
acteristic peculiarity in v. 21. There is no clear explanation of the 
difference between this genealogy and that of Matthew. One of the 
two most common conjectures is that Matthew gives Joseph's gen- 
ealogy and Luke, Mary's. This would be in keeping with Luke's 
general emphasis of Mary and Matthew's emphasis of Joseph in the 
narrative. The other conjecture is that Matthew gives (after David) 
a list of those eligible to the occupancy of the throne, while Luke 
gives the actual descent. 

3. During a period of seclusion in the wilderness, Jesus successfully 
resists a threefold temptation (4:1-13). Read 4:1-13, noting the 
characteristic expression in v. I (cf. Mark 1:12; Matt. 4:1). In 
v. 9 where Luke has Jerusalem, Matthew (4:5) from the Jewish 
standpoint says "the holy city." In v. 13 Luke implies that Jesus 
had further temptations later, and this agrees with Luke 22:28. 

Personal Thought : "Let him impart to him that hath none" (3:11). 
Does the sight of a person who has none of that which you find useful 
disturb you ? You may not see any practicable way to share with 
him, but do you have the inclination to share ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 123 



Study XV— ^Testis' (Bxutiaus &ctttottp before t&e ^attrnep to 
^erttsalem. 

First Day: Jesus, Full of the Holy Spirit, Attracts Crowds 
about Him as a Great Prophet-Healer; but the Rabbis Turn 
Against Him. Luke 4:14-6:11 

Jesus' public career begins; He teaches in all the Galilean syna- 
gogues, especially in Nazareth and Capernaum, full of the glad con- 
sciousness that the Spirit of God is with Him (4:17-21), and heals 
many sick; great and appreciative crowds gather about Him as prophet- 
healer and He begins to select disciples; He manifests a certain reserve 
in that He will not let the demoniacs speak of Him as the Christ, and 
retires from the crowds into the wilderness to pray (4: 14-5: 16). Read 
4:14-15, which contains a general preliminary statement like that in 
Mark 1:14-15. Notice the characteristic peculiarity in v. 14. 

Read carefully 4:16-30, which was incidentally considered in the 
study of Mark 6:1-6, looking now for characteristic peculiarities. 
What two things in vv. 18-19 would be attractive to Luke? What 
characteristic appears in vv. 25-27 ? Luke did not consider this inci- 
dent in Capernaum to be the beginning of Jesus' activity, as is evident 
from v. 23. Perhaps he puts it at the forefront of his narrative of 
Jesus' public life because the synagogue discourse in Nazareth con- 
tains a description of Jesus' mission (vv. 18-21) that might properly 
introduce the narrative. Certainly no general description of the mis- 
sion of Jesus could be more congenial to Luke's spirit. This quo- 
tation from Isaiah was probably not recognized as an announcement 
of Messiahship by the synagogue audience. Show how vv. 18-19 
aptly describe what Jesus did for men. 

As was suggested in the study of Mark 6:1-6, this Sabbath may 
have closed a week in Nazareth during which Jesus had done no mighty 
works (v. 23, cf. Mark 6:5). It angered the villagers to hear Jesus 
say that God cared as much for the Gentile as for the Jew and to ap- 
ply this outrageous statement to them. That such a statement would 
enrage a Jew is evident from Acts 22:21-22. It is like Luke to em- 
phasize the majesty of Jesus by such a statement as v. 30. 

Personal Thought : To bring good news to poor people; to free for 
activity those who have been tied up; to make men see what they have 
not before realized; to give relief and opportunity to lives that are 
scarred and broken in spirit; to announce a great, new, God-given 
chance to everyone (vv. 18-19), — this is Jesus' ambition. 



124 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XV.—^tme' (Bvmme &cttiritp before tlje ^Tourncp to 

Second Day: Jesus, Full of the Holy Spirit, Attracts Crowds 
about Him as a Great Prophet-Healer; but the Rabbis Turn 
Against Him (concluded). Luke 4:14-6:11 

1. Glance rapidly through Luke 4:31-44, a parallel to which we 
have already studied. V. 40 adds a detail as to method that might 
interest a physician. The last clause of v. 43 is peculiar (cf. Mark 
1 :3s) and is a Pauline way of stating a great fact (cf. Rom. 8:3; Gal. 
4:4). Read 5:1-11 and compare with Mark 1:16-20 (Matt. 4:18- 
22). Can these be descriptions of the same event ? Perhaps what 
Luke describes occurred a few days later than what is described in 
Mark. Such an experience as that described in Mark probably had 
not involved permanent abandonment of business. What caused 
Peter to feel as he did (v. 8) ? 

2. Glance over 5:12-16, noting the Lukan characteristic in v. 16 
(cf. Mark 1:45)- The verb in Greek may denote that Jesus fre- 
quently did so. Can you conjecture what may have been the subjects 
of His prayer at this period ? 

3. The Pharisees and the rabbis criticise Jesus' conduct as irreligious 
and finally become very bitter against Him (5: 1 7-6: II). Glance over 
these paragraphs, which are closely parallel to the four paragraphs in 
Mark 2:1-3:6 in which the development of the rabbinical opposition 
to Jesus is traced. The chief points of difference not previously noted 
are the phrase "glorifying God" (5:25); the mention of the prayer- 
fulness of John's disciples (5:33); the slightly different putting of the 
parable in 5:36; the addition of the parable in 5:39; and the medical 
exactness that specifies "right" (6:6). The parable in 5:39 seems 
to be an apology for those who prefer the old ceremonies to the new 
truth. The fact that John the Baptist and his disciples agreed with 
the rabbis at this point (v. ^) would naturally incline Luke to apolo- 
gize for their attitude. 

Personal Thought : To grow old holding fast whatever has proved 
itself to be good, and at the same time to give the new a fair chance to 
prove itself also good, is the truth-seeker's ideal. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 125 



Study XV.— %tm&' (Sraciotts &cttbitp before tl)e 'Sauvnc^ to 
Jerusalem 

Third Day: Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles. Luke 6:12-49 

In spite of this opposition, after a night of prayer on the hilltop, 
Jesus takes the bold step of appointing twelve of His disciples to be 
"apostles" ; then in the midst of great crowds from distant regions, 
and in the rich plenitude of His healing power (vv. 17-19) He delivers 
an inaugural address to His disciples (6:12-49). Read vv. 12-19. 
Note the Lukan peculiarity in v. 12 (cf. Mark 3:13); also the addi- 
tional detail regarding topography in v. 17. Do you see any more 
clearly than when studying Mark why Jesus needed this night of prayer ? 
The Twelve were evidently chosen from a considerable company of 
persons who had become somewhat closely identified with Jesus. 
This company met Him in a solemn, brief interview in the seclusion 
of the hilltop, and to them Jesus first announced the names of those 
He had selected. Then, with these twelve appointees, He came 
down to some "level place" and delivered an address to a more pro- 
miscuous company. Luke's report of Jesus' address is much shorter 
than Matthew's, but some things in Matthew's report appear later 
in Luke and are assigned to different occasions. Doubtless Jesus, 
who was frequently preaching on the same subjects in so many dif- 
ferent localities, said the same things in different places. The differ- 
ences of expression in these two reports of what seems to be the 
same discourse constitute a part of the so-called " Synoptic Prob- 
lem," the consideration of which is beyond the scope of this book. 

Are there any characteristic peculiarities in Luke 6:20-26 when 
compared with Matthew 5:3-12? The use of "sinners" in Luke 
6:32-34, instead of the more Jewish expression "publicans" and 
"Gentiles" in Matt. 5:46-47, has been noted. Is there anything 
Lukan in the last word of v. 36 (cf. Matt. 5:48) ? Is there anything 
characteristic in Luke's omission of Matt. 5:21-24? Matt. 5:33- 
37? Matt. 6:2-7? Matt. 6:16-18? Does Jesus say that all poor 
and hungry are blessed (vv. 20-21) ? 

Personal Thought: Jesus protested with all the divine vigor of His 
soul against current social valuations. The need of such protest is 
urgent to-day. Do you really believe in the supremacy of character ? 
Would you lower your moral standards a trifle in order to become 
very rich ? 



ii6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XV.— $tm&' <3xuwvl$ &rttbttp before t&e ^fattrncp ta 

Fourth Day : Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles (concluded). 
Luke 6 : i 2-49 

1. Take up Luke 6:27-36 verse by verse, endeavoring to penetrate 
deeply into its meaning, and consider how much more fundamental 
these standards are than those that generally prevail in many very 
respectable lives. First read vv. 27-28. What is it to "love" an 
enemy ? Does it involve approval of his unfriendly heart ? What is 
it to "bless" a person? What is it to "curse" a person? What is 
the psychological effect upon one's self of praying for a person, or of 
doing him a kindness ? Do not be side-tracked by debating whether 
the injunctions in vv. 29-30 are to be literally obeyed. Evidently 
you would not "give" to a little boy just beginning a career of pro- 
fessional beggary. What is the great idea so picturesquely expressed ? 
What can you "give" under such circumstances? 

What is the assumption that underlies the argument in vv. 32-34 ? 
The "merciful Father" (v. 36) will treat a man of merciful dispo- 
sition with abounding mercy (vv. 37-38). 

2. With v. 39 the second part of the discourse begins. Its domi- 
nant thought is that those disciples who were leading the way into the 
Kingdom must first of all be right themselves. They must be keen- 
eyed guides (v. 39) for their followers will at best be no better than 
they themselves are (v. 40). They cannot correct others until they 
have corrected themselves (vv. 41-42). They must be at heart good 
men themselves before they can do good to others (vv. 43-45). Polite 
professions cannot count for actual obedience (46). Read once more 
the impressive ending in vv. 47-49. 

Personal Thought: These searching requirements of Jesus go deep 
down into the foundations of personal character, and lead him who 
would obey them to realize that down in the depths of his being 
is an elemental selfishness which fiercely hates enemies, and bitterly 
resents thefts, and strikes vindictively back at personal abuse. It is 
only a disciple of Jesus whose inmost being is touched by the Spirit 
of His merciful Father that can hope for success in this high kind of 
life. The human heart can maintain unfailing good-will only when 
it is in vital connection with the great central Heart which pulses out 
good-will eternally. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 127 



Study XV.— $t&u&' (Bxmama &rttoit|> before tlje ^ournep to 

FlFTH Day: Jesus' Wonders Increase; His Criticism of the Rabbis 
Begins. Luke 7:1-50 

1. After the appointment of the Twelve His healings become more 
wonderful; in one case He heals at a distance, and again restores life 
to a dead man; He criticises the rabbis in general for their attitude 
towards the Baptist and Himself, and in contrast speaks appreciatively 
of the receptivity of the outcast classes; a very striking case of this con- 
trast occurs when He dines with a Pharisee (7 : 1-50). Glance at Luke 
7:1-10, the subject-matter of which has been studied in Matthew. 
Notice again the characteristic peculiarities in v. 2 and vv. 3-5. 

2. Read carefully 7:11-17, which is peculiar to Luke. Note the 
details that emphasize the pathetic features of the situation. This 
young man had probably died that day; the mother's grief was fresh. 
The peculiar loneliness of her situation had appealed to a large part 
of the town (v. 12). There was sympathetic stillness except for the 
pitiful wailing of the mother (v. 13) and the mourners which filled the 
air, and the soft patter of many sandaled feet, which was heard as 
the crowd passed along the city street through the gate toward the 
burial-place outside. There another great company met them with 
the Lord of Life at its head! Is Jesus regarded by these people as 
the Messiah ? "Judea" in v. 17 is perhaps used of all Palestine (cf. 
6:17). Note in v. 13 the title which Luke uses, and which is fre- 
quently used by him instead of "Jesus." 

3. Luke 7:18-35 is not substantially different from the parallel 
in Matthew already studied. Glance through it, noting the criticism 
of the rabbis contained in it. The section closes with a paragraph 
peculiar to Luke (vv. 36-50) which, in a concrete instance, presents 
the rabbis in a very unfavorable light. The incident illustrates the 
general situation described in vv. 29-30. Professor Bruce regards it 
rather as introduced by Luke to show how Jesus came to have the 
reputation described in v. 34. Read the paragraph and note at least 
two characteristic peculiarities of Luke. 

There is said to be much less privacy in eastern homes than is 
common with us, so that an uninvited person might come in to look 
on. This woman had evidently led an immoral life and was a public 
character (v. 39). She had evidently experienced kindness from 



128 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Jesus, for she had brought an alabaster vase of myrrh with which to 
express her gratitude. (There is no sufficient evidence for the sup- 
position that she was Mary Magdalene or Mary of Bethany.) The 
guests at the dinner-party were reclining on couches about the table, 
their feet from the table, according to the usual custom. This woman 
broke out sobbing (v. 38, the Greek word indicates audible crying) 
as soon as she reached the couch of Jesus, and kneeling by it she 
kissed his feet repeatedly (v. 38, margin R. V.). Her long hair came 
down and she caressingly wiped her tears from His feet with it. The 
rabbi was scandalized that Jesus should allow such a woman to touch 
Him. He argued in his mind that Jesus could not be the prophet 
He was popularly thought to be or He would know the disreputable 
character of this woman. Without apparently noticing the woman, 
Jesus in his usual enigmatical style told His host a story (vv. 40-42). 
Then, finally turning His head to look at the woman, He adminis- 
tered a courteous, dignified rebuke to His host for the discourteous 
reception He had experienced at his hands (notice the antitheses in 
vv. 44-46). This lack of courtesy seems to indicate that some other 
motive than friendliness had prompted the rabbi's invitation. How- 
ever, Jesus' main point was that this woman's evident afFection was 
a proof that her sins, which the rabbi had not at all overestimated 
and which Jesus had no disposition to condone (v. 47), were forgiven. 
The clause "for she loved much" (v. 47) does not give the reason 
for her being forgiven, but the reason for knowing that she was for- 
given: "You may be sure that she is a much forgiven person or 
else she would not be loving so much." The point was that evi- 
dently the rabbi had either little sin or little penitence. Jesus cour- 
teously left it to His host's conscience to inform him which! Then 
Jesus turned to the woman, and with an authority that startled all 
the guests assured her that her sins were forgiven. Her loving con- 
fidence in Him had wrought a transformation in her life that would 
give her peace. 

Personal Thought : In this study there have come wonderfully 
to light Jesus' power, even over death; the uncompromising, but 
courteous, kindly sincerity with which He talked to His host; the 
strong tenderness with which He comforted a heart rising up in tu- 
multuous penitence out of sin. Do you find yourself more and more 
strongly drawn to Him ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 129 



Study XV.— %zm&' (Srariotts &ctibitp -Before tlje ^ournep to 
Jerusalem 

Sixth Day : Jesus and His Company Go on an Evangelizing Tour; 
Jesus Performs Four Great Wonders. Luke 8:1-56 

1. The apostolic company, accompanied by certain women of some 
wealth, goes triumphantly from city to city announcing that the King- 
dom of God is near; Jesus gives some special instructions to His dis- 
ciples, showing the importance of candid attention to His teaching, 
and does four very wonderful things (8:1-56). Read 8:1-3 and note 
two characteristic peculiarities. Picture the progress of this group 
on its glad errand. The "many others" (v. 3) is feminine in the 
Greek, showing that there was a considerable number of women, 
perhaps some of them family connections of the apostles. Note the 
very significant statement regarding the way in which the expenses 
of these evangelistic campaigns were met. The wife of the manager 
of Herod's private property was in the group. Perhaps this accounts 
for the special interest felt by Herod in Jesus (cf. Luke 23:8). 

2. The story of the soil and seed appears at this point in Luke 
(8:4-15), apparently to show the varied reception accorded to Jesus' 
evangel that has just been mentioned in vv. 1-3. The last words 
of v. 12 are peculiar to Luke's account and are suggestive of Paul. 
V. 15 also is peculiar to Luke. Read the verse carefully. What 
constitutes a heart "honest" and "good" in its treatment of truth ? 
What is it to "hold it fast ?" 

Luke adds an episode about Jesus' mother and brothers, not giv- 
ing the motive for their visit as did Mark (3: 20, 21, 31), but using 
it because Jesus' statement in v. 21 enforces the truth of the story 
of the soil and seed, especially v. 15. 

3. The section 8:22-56 is closely parallel to Mark 4:35-5:43. 
Do you see any characteristic peculiarities in 8:22 (cf. Mark 4:35)? 
In 8:40 (cf. Mark 5:21)? That in 8:42 (cf. Mark 5:23) has been 
already noted. 

Personal Thought: "Hold it fast and bring forth fruit with pa- 
tience" (Luke 8: 15). It is perfectly certain that if a person of ordi- 
nary candor will simply give patient, regular attention to the thoughts 
in the word of God his living will improve. He will not need to 
worry about the growth of his character. All he needs to do is to 
hold these thoughts fast as an object of candid attention. 



■■ 



130 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XV.— ^Tefius* (Svmaue Sltftoitp before tlje ^ottrnep to 

Seventh Day: Jesus Sends Out the Twelve; Afterwards in 
private He tells them that He is to be Killed. Luke 9: 1-50 

1. When the Twelve return from a short period of independent work, 
Jesus goes into seclusion with them and devotes Himself to their pri- 
vate instruction; it becomes evident that they believe Him to be the 
Messiah, and He begins to tell them of His coming death and of the 
sacrifice requisite for discipleship; three of them hear Moses and Elias 
talking with Him at night in glory of His coming death, and the entire 
company are astonished at the manifestation of His power in the cure 
of an obdurate case of demonical possession; He tries especially to 
secure a spirit of unselfish sympathy among them (5:1-50). Read 
Luke 9:1-6. This is practically the same as the paragraph Mark 
6:7-11. Attention used to be called to the fact that Luke represents 
Jesus as saying that they were not to take a staff (v. 3), while according 
to Mark (6:8) they were to take only a staff. Such differences in 
detail are now generally felt to be such as may be expected in all 
trustworthy narratives which take their form by such processes as 
our Gospels seem to have passed through. The point clearly enough 
is that they were to go with meagre equipment. 

2. Read Luke 9:7-9. Luke omits the account of the execution 
of John the Baptist. Perhaps it seemed to him too gruesome a nar- 
rative for the golden atmosphere of his Gospel. Glance over Luke 
9:10-17, noting the glad graciousness of Jesus in v. II. 

3. Read Luke 9:18-27, remembering what has already been said 
about the strange omission of the section Mark 6:45-8:26 (Matt. 
14:22-16:12), and the absence of all geographical allusion. Notice 
the Lukan characteristic in v. 18 (cf. Mark 8:27), the characteristic 
omission of Peter's forwardness and Jesus' rebuke (cf. Mark 8:32- 
33). Glance over Luke 9:28-50. What characteristic peculiarity 
occurs in vv. 28-29 (cf. Mark 9:2); v. 38 (cf. Mark 9:17); v. 45 (cf. 
Mark 9 : 32) ? Notice the characteristic omission of matter contained 
in Mark 9:42-50. 

Personal Thought: "Lest he forfeit his own self" (9:25). The 
damage done is in the sphere of his own personality. He cannot 
escape from himself. He passes on into eternity with a damaged self. 
It is the old question : What kind of person are you becoming ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 131 



Study XVI.— Cf)e long:, ©toentfttl 2fnttrnej> to Jerusalem 

First Day: Jesus Sends Messengers Ahead to Prepare for His 
Coming. Luke 9:51-10:37 

1. Luke 9:51 begins the second main division of the Gospel "The 
Long, Eventful Journey to Jerusalem " (9:51-19:28). Read Luke 
9:51-10:24 in the light of the following characterization: Jesus 
sends out messengers, first a few into Samaria and afterwards seventy 
over a wider area, to prepare the way for Him in all the villages that 
He will visit on the journey to Jerusalem, giving them careful in- 
structions ; the seventy messengers return, enthusiastic over the suc- 
cess of their mission; Jesus rejoices in His power to show .men what 
kind of person God is and to establish the kingdom so long expected 
by prophets and kings. The Samaritan villagers, jealous of Jerusa- 
lem, had no mind to extend hospitality even to the famous prophet 
if He proposed to make Jerusalem His objective point. What 
does the visit to Jerusalem mean to James and John, and why are 
they so fierce ? 

2. Read 9:57-62. Luke brings out more clearly than did Mat- 
thew (8:18-22) the important emergency that required such urgency. 
There was no time for the journey home (v. 61), and to wish to make 
it in this crisis argued half-hearted devotion to the cause. It is to be 
expected that Jesus would give the same general directions to the 
Seventy that seemed to Him necessary in the case of the Twelve 
sent out earlier (Mark 6:8-11; Matt. 9:37-38, 10:7-16). Exactly 
what were these messengers to do in each village (10: 1)? 

3. The Seventy were not to remain in the villages they visited until 
Jesus came, but seem rather to have come together to some appointed 
place where He was waiting for them (v. 17). In the successful 
attack of these messengers upon the forces of evil He had seen the 
swift, decisive overthrow of Satan's empire (v. 18). The most satis- 
factory achievements of the present life are but faintly suggestive of 
those that shall be ours in the age to come (v. 20). It was in view of 
the success of these men that He prayed (v. 21). On this paragraph 
refer to Study VIII, Fifth Day. These thoughts must have been 
often in Jesus' mind and may have been expressed at various times. 
What "things" are referred to in vv. 23-24? 

Personal Thought: We too need to appreciate the glory of living 
in the era of the Son of Man. 



13 2 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVI.— C^e long;, €ucntfttl ^ottrncp tn ^mtsalem 

Second Day: Jesus Tells the Story of the Neighborly Samaritan. 
Luke 10:25-37 

A rabbi tests Jesus' ability as a teacher by asking Him how to 
prepare for eternal life in the New Kingdom, and Jesus replies by tell- 
ing the story of the Neighborly Samaritan (10:25-37). Read 10:25- 
37. It is like Luke to bring out with satisfaction the fact that Jesus 
made a Samaritan the hero of this story. Possibly the details of the 
treatment of the wounded man betray a physician's interest. Cer- 
tainly the humane mercifulness of the Samaritan is in harmony with 
the spirit of Luke's Gospel. Luke's evident satisfaction is seen in 
the way in which he dwells upon the details in vv. 33-35. Read the 
verses once more with active imagination. The sum of money left 
to pay the hotel bill was two denarii, and the purchasing power of a 
denarius can be estimated from Matt. 20:2. What is the truth that 
this story of the Neighborly Samaritan illustrates ? That is, what 
does it show to be Jesus' conception of eternal life and of the way 
to get it (v. 25) ? 

Personal Thought : "He took care of him " (v. 34). There is danger 
that we shall try to do our benevolent work through organizations 
and committees, through subscriptions of money to charitable enter- 
prises, without spending time and giving personal attention to those 
who need us. We sometimes report a "case" to an organization to 
which we have made a subscription and go our way with an un- 
warranted sense of satisfaction. The organization is indispensable, 
but personal sympathy, and not merely official attention, is what 
people lying by the roadside need. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 133 



Study XVI. —C&e inner, ©tocntfttl ^ouxxity to Jerusalem 

Third Day; Jesus Teaches about Hospitality and Prayer, and 
Attacks the Rabbis. Luke 10:38-12:12 

1. In a village Jesus shows a woman what constitutes true hospi- 
tality (10:38-42). Read 10:38-42. Luke's indifference to geo- 
graphical details is evident from the fact that Mary and Martha, 
who are apparently the same ones that appear in John's Gospel as 
living in Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem (John 11), appear here sim- 
ply "in a certain village" on the way to Jerusalem. Can you tell 
from the narrative which of these sisters owned the property ? In v. 
42 some manuscripts read "but few things are needful, or even one" 
(margin R. V.), which is sometimes thought to mean that one article 
of food would answer, but more probably the "one thing needful" 
is not food at all. What does Jesus mean to say is the "one thing" 
that is essential to good hospitality (v. 42) ? What is there that is 
characteristic of Luke in the incident ? 

2. In 11:1-13 appears Luke's characteristic emphasis of prayer. 
Read vv. 1-4 and compare Matt. 6:9-13. Evidently this prayer did 
not at first take a stereotyped form. These were Jesus' favorite topics 
of prayer which He probably suggested on several occasions. Read 
vv. 5-8, noting their allusion to the life of the poor. Perhaps Jesus 
in His boyhood had been wakened by such a knock at night and had 
heard such a conversation. Does this verse show that God is like 
the sleeping neighbor ? On what does Jesus base His confidence 
in prayer? Notice the Lukan characteristic in v. 13 (cf. Matt. 7: 11). 

3. The rabbis advance the Beelzebub hypothesis in explanation of 
Jesus' power to cure demoniacs; Jesus defends Himself and sharply 
attacks the religious sham and unreceptivity of the rabbis (1 1 : 14-12: 12). 
Part of the subject-matter of this section has already been studied, 
and the rest, found also in Matt. 23, will be studied when the events 
of the Last Week are taken up. At present read it rapidly through, 
noticing the characteristic peculiarity in 11:27-28. 

Personal Thought: "Knock and it shall be opened unto you." A 
person who knocks believes that there is someone on the other side 
of the door, and after knocking waits and listens. Our prayers are 
too often taken up with the vociferous presentation of our own feelings 
and needs and not enough with reverent listening for God to speak. 



134 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVL— Clje long, eventful 3f0ttmej) to ^crtusalem 

Fourth Day: Jesus Teaches that His Disciples must Speak 
Out, and that Life does not consist in Owning Property. 
Luke 12:1-21 

1. Glance rapidly once more over 11:37-54 in order to see how 
fierce the opposition of the rabbis was becoming. In 12:1-12 Jesus 
urges His disciples to speak out in spite of this opposition. Jesus 
had accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy — that is, of trying to seem 
better than they were, or trying to conceal their real selves (11:39, 
44). The disciples are also in danger of insincerity, though of a 
somewhat different sort. They are in danger of being so frightened 
by the opposition that they will conceal their attachment to Jesus. 
Read 12: 1-12. The connection of v. 10 with the context is not very 
clear. The utterance appears in another connection in Mark (3:29) 
and Matthew (12:32). Perhaps here Jesus hints at the extreme sin 
into which those who are afraid to speak out will ultimately come. 

2. In this time of great spiritual crisis of which Jesus had just 
been speaking a typical voice out of the great crowd shouted "Make 
my brother divide!" Jesus saw that the man's real danger was 
"covetousness," that is, an excessive desire to get property for him- 
self. Read carefully vv. 13-21. What is the argument against covet- 
ousness in v. 15 ? What does a man's life consist in ? Why did God 
consider the rich Syrian farmer to be a "fool" (v. 20)? That is, 
what ought the man to have done that he did not do ? 

Personal Thought : "This night is thy soul required of thee, and the 
things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?" This man's 
soul had been set down for a little while in the midst of things. The 
man's chief interest had been in the things; God's chief interest had 
been in the soul. The man had been watching the things increase; 
God had been watching to see the soul increase. This man might 
have used the things in such a way as to make his soul increase. He 
might have used his things richly for God (v. 21). That is what 
God set him down in the midst of things for. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 135 



Study XVI.— C&e long;, ©bentfttl ^ournep to Jerusalem 

Fifth Day: Jesus Teaches that to be Ready for God is of 
Supreme Importance. Luke 12:22-59 

Read again 12:22-34, the substance of which we have already had 
in Matthew. The aim of Jesus is to get men to act in accordance 
with their belief that there is a God. 

Compare v. 24 with v. 18. The picture in vv. 35-37 is that of an 
illuminated house at night with servants ready to start at a moment's 
notice to admit their master when he comes back from attending a 
wedding. What is the new figure in vv. 39-40 ? What was it in the 
situation of Jesus' hearers that these stories illustrated ? That is, 
what did the coming of the Son of Man mean to those to whom 
Jesus first addressed these words ? 

Read vv. 41-48. Special instruction is given to the Twelve, who 
hold the position of stewards or overseers. They have special privi- 
leges, and therefore special responsibility, and special blame in case 
of faithlessness. This circumstance discriminates between them 
and disciples less intimately associated with Jesus. 

The tense strenuousness of the spirit of Jesus at this time is very 
impressive. Read vv. 49-53. The immediate future is not to bring 
peace and plenty, but strife and sacrifice. The development of the 
situation is rapid. He finds what He came to see already begun 
(v. 49). Fire consumes, the inflammable and leaves the imperish- 
able; that is, Jesus separates, and separation is the dominant idea 
of this paragraph. A dividing line will pass through families. The 
three young people, the son, his wife, and his sister, on one side, and 
the two old people on the other side. 

In vv. 54-59 He turns again to the miscellaneous crowd hurry- 
ing on to judgment without knowing it, shrewd men acting spiritually 
like fools. They are like men on their way to the magistrate with 
only a moment for settling with their creditors. Read vv. 54-59. 

Personal Thought: God is an ever-present fact. To be ready 
every hour for every demonstration God may make is to live. If 
we are trustfully ready for His provident care in every hour of need, 
loyally ready to own Him in an hour when confession means sacri- 
fice, eagerly ready to go forward with Him when His Kingdom ad- 
vances, humbly ready for the judgment of His Son — if we are ready 
for God it makes no difference, whether we are rich or poor. 



36 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVI— ®&e ions, ©uentfttl 2fottrncp to Setttcalem 
Sixth Day: The Judgment to Come. Luke 13:1-35 

1. The strong sense of the judgment to come still possesses the 
spirit of Jesus in the discourse of chapter 13. Pilate had killed 
some Galileans as they were sacrificing in the temple; a tower had 
fallen on eighteen men in a Jerusalem suburb. Everyone was talk- 
ing about these events. Jesus' mind was filled with another thought. 
Read 13:1-5- Read vv. 6-9 which emphasize the nearness of judg- 
ment. 

2. The spiritual stolidity of the people and their ripeness for judg- 
ment are concretely illustrated in the case of the president of the 
synagogue. Read vv. 10-17. What was the fundamental difficulty 
with this man ? Do you see anything characteristic of Luke in vv. 
II, 17 ? This is another of the many appearances of women in the 
narrative. It is hard to see how the two parables in vv. 18-21 fit 
into this context. 

3. Jesus' consciousness of coming judgment leads to the question 
in v. 23. Read vv. 22-30. What is Jesus' reply to His questioner ? 
What is the "door," and in what sense is the "door" a narrow one 
(v. 23)? 

4. A delegation of rabbis either hostile and wishing to be rid of 
Jesus, or somewhat friendly, and wishing to be of assistance to Him, 
warn Him that Herod is planning to kill Him. Jesus alludes to 
Herod's sly, crafty character, and says that God has appointed Him a 
fixed course to run which Herod cannot shorten. He adds with 
sorrowful irony that Herod will not kill Him, for it is the special 
prerogative of Jerusalem to kill prophets. Read vv. 31-35. V. 34 
indicates unrecorded visits to Jerusalem. 

Personal Thought: "Strive to enter in by the narrow door" (13: 
24). In our emphasis of the reasonableness and simplicity of the 
Christian life there is perhaps danger that we underestimate its real 
difficulty. The Christian readiness to treat another man with the 
same consideration that we should be glad to receive from him im- 
plies the reversal of the strong selfish currents of our own being and 
direct opposition to popular standards of shrewdness and success. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 137 



Study XVI.— C&e ions, ©bentfttl 3Tatmiep to ^etttsalcm 

Seventh Day : Plain Talk at a Rabbi's Dinner-Party. Luke 
14:1-24 

1. Read 14: 1-6, noting carefully every detail of the situation de- 
scribed. Perhaps it is due to the fact that Jesus does not stay long 
in any one place on this journey to Jerusalem that social relations 
with the rabbis whom He so vigorously denounces are not completely 
broken off. He comes to each new town with a reputation that 
arouses the curiosity of the local rabbis and leads them to invite Him 
to their homes for inspection (v. i). 

2. Read 14:7-11. One wonders whether the rabbis were accus- 
tomed to discuss each other's foibles so frankly, or whether in this 
particular Jesus talked "not as the scribes." Suppose that at a mod- 
ern dinner-party one were to talk simply and frankly about the social 
ambitions that were being gratified or disappointed by the arrange- 
ment at table! 

3. Read vv. 12-14, in which Jesus spoke with engaging frankness 
to His host. The Greek in v. 12 might be translated "Do not keep 
inviting." Write out carefully what you conceive to be Jesus' law 
for the use of the home. In what will the recompense at the resurrec- 
tion of the righteous consist ? 

4. One of the guests who felt that the conversation was becoming 
uncomfortably personal endeavored to turn it in a more comfortable 
direction by making a very commonplace, pious remark, which he 
thought would interest a professional prophet. He said that it would 
be a blessed thing to be present at the Messianic banquet (v. 15)! 
Jesus, however, would not deal in superficial platitudes. He made 
the allusion to the Messianic banquet the occasion of a story, the 
point of which was that His fellow guests were not likely to be present 
on that occasion. Read vv. 15-24. Taking into account the con- 
text, who were represented by those who were invited and did not 
accept ? By those who did accept ? 

Personal Thought: To help those who are not likely otherwise to 
be helped; to do what needs to be done and is not likely to be done 
unless we do it — to do this for love of God and man is to meet our 
Lord's ideal. 



138 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVII.— C&e long;, ©bentfttl ^Dttmcp to ^ftvusahm 

(Continued) 

First Day: Jesus Urges the Crowds to Count the Cost of Dis- 
cipleship and Defends Himself for Associating with the Irre- 
ligious. Luke 14:25-15:32 

1. Jesus dealt with the crowds as frankly as with the rabbis. He 
wished no one to follow under a misapprehension of what disciple- 
ship meant. Read 14:25-35. There was considerable likelihood 
that a man would find himself obliged to choose between family friends 
and Jesus. Remember the situation hinted at in 12: 52. If a father 
or mother hostile to Jesus should insist on the son's renouncing dis- 
cipleship, the choice of the disciple must be instant and unwavering. 
Vv. 28-30 contain an illustration which is common in the experience 
of one who was a builder by trade, as was Jesus. The tower may 
be such as commonly would be built in a vineyard where a watcher 
would be needed. What is it in the actual experience of the disciple 
that is described in this illustration ? What is the point of the illus- 
tration in vv. 31-32? What was it that the man must make up 
his mind to if he would be a disciple of Jesus ? Why is one who has 
made up his mind to this like "salt"? 

2. Read 15:1-7 with active imagination. The sheep are out for 
summer pasture in the wilderness, and at night the shepherd finds 
that one of the hundred is gone. Picture the search, the return, and 
the conversation with his fellow shepherds. Verse 2 indicates who 
is represented by the lost sheep. 

Personal Thought: The fundamental fault with the religious peo- 
ple whom Jesus criticised so severely in chapter 14 was that they wanted 
special privileges. They enjoyed finding themselves better ofF than 
other people. It did not make them uncomfortable to see others 
worse ofF than themselves. The disciple is one who joins his Lord 
in the effort to share his own special privileges with the unprivileged. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 139 



Study XVIL— Cfce long:, (Kbentful fottrntp to 3TenwaIera 

{Continued) 

SECOND Day : Jesus Defends Himself for Associating with the 
Irreligious (concluded). Luke 15:8-32 

1. Read 15:8-10, picturing the anxious woman peering in the 
cracks with her taper lamp, sweeping all her rooms, finally going 
from house to house calling in her neighbors to hear all the details 
of her successful search for the Lost Drachma. Remember again 
to whom these stories are told. That is, who are "you" in v. 4? 
What was this story intended to teach them ? Is its teaching at all 
different from that of the Lost Sheep ? It is characteristic of Luke 
to report a story of interest to women. 

2. Read now the third story in this wonderful group, namely, the 
story of the Lost Son, vv. n-32, and compel your imagination to 
produce the picture described in each verse. Notice first the main 
application of the story, which begins in v. 25. Who was it in the 
situation confronting Jesus who was like the older brother ? Who 
was the younger brother ? And who was the father ? Notice the 
strong contrast between the older brother and the old father. Im- 
agine what would have become of the younger brother if he had been 
obliged to deal with the older brother instead of with the father! Now 
read the paragraph through once more, making a study of the main 
features in the experience and disposition of each of the three prin- 
cipal cha acters: What was the fundamental difficulty with the 
younger son before he left home? What made him "come to him- 
self?" When he came to himself what did he see that he had not 
seen before ? How had the father felt during the younger son's 
absence? What was the fundamental defect in the character of the 
older brother ? What seems to have become of the older brother? 

Personal Thought : We need from time to time to ask ourselves 
whether we agree with God in our feeling about every individual 
with whom we have to do. These rabbis did not agree wth God. 
A group of angels (v. 10) on the corner of one of the heavenly streets 
rejoiced over what Jesus was doing; a group of rabbis on an earthly 
street corner were angry at the same phenomenon. We shall not 
wholly free ourselves from defective vision, but we shall be greatly 
improved if we often try to imagine how God feels about every man 
we meet, and then endeavor to agree with God. 



140 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVII.— ©be long:, €toentfttl f ottrnep to Jerusalem 

{Continued) 

Third Day: Jesus Teaches How to Use Money. Luke 16:1- 
17:10 

1. In 16: I Jesus turns to the rich publicans, who were coming to 
Him in such numbers (15: 1), and begins to show them how they 
ought to use their money. Luke hints that the rabbis needed the 
lesson also (16: 14). The lesson is presented in the story of the 
Shrewd Steward. The story is found in vv. 1-8 and the truth illus- 
trated in vv. 9-13. The steward seems to have been a person with 
authority to commute the debts of his employer's debtors if he chose 
to do so. This steward's fault lay in something that he had done 
previous to the time when he appears in this narrative (vv. 1-2). Now 
read carefully the story in vv. 1-8, looking for the main point and re- 
garding the details of the story as of no special significance. In 
what did the steward's shrewdness consist ? 

Now read vv. 9-13. "Mammon" means money, called "unright- 
eous" because so often leading to unrighteousness. Verse 9 tells 
how a wise disciple of Jesus ought to use his money. Be sure to 
read v. 9 in the Revised Version. What would be an instance of a 
man using his money in such a way as to lay the foundation for an 
eternal friendship in the age to come (v. 9) ? Jesus evidently did not 
value money as did the men about Him ; it was a "very little" thing 
to Him (v. 10). Yet He taught that the use a man makes of his 
money is a true test of his character (v. 10), and one which determines 
whether God can conscientiously entrust to Him higher forms of 
power (v. 11). Money is a temporary possession which must soon, 
at the longest, become " another's" (v. 12). What would be an 
instance of a higher form of power which a man could carry out with 
him in the age to come as "his own" (v. 12) ? 

2. Note in v. 14 the effect of this teaching upon the rabbis. Read 
vv. 15-18. The connection of vv. 16-18 with the context is not clear. 
Perhaps the thought is that the rabbis are the abomination of God; 
the publicans rush into the Kingdom of God; the rabbis do not live 
up to their own standards, especially in the matter of divorce. 

Personal Thought : What do you like best to spend money for ? The 
answer to this question will determine what you would do with money 
if you had a great deal of it. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 141 



Study XVII.— ST&e ianff, (Etoentful ^atttnep to ^crttfialem 

{Continued) 

Fourth Day: Jesus Teaches How to Use Money (concluded). 
Luke 16:1-17:10 

1. After the parenthetical statements in vv. 14-18, Jesus goes on in 
19-31 with the thought of vv. 1-13. He cites the case of a man who did 
not use his money in such a way as to make friends who would meet 
him in the other world. Consequently in the other world he was 
friendless. "Hades" (v. 23) contains both Paradise and Gehenna. 
Read vv. 19-31 with active imagination. The amount of significance 
that should be attributed to the various details of this illustration 
is uncertain. One can safely insist only upon the main point illus- 
trated, which is clear enough. What ought the rich man to have 
done on earth? "Abraham's bosom" (v. 23) suggests a banquet 
at which the man who was so hungry on earth now feasts (cf. Luke 
6: 21, 24, 25). Abraham's bosom would be the place on the couch 
next to that of Abraham (cf. John 13:23). The illustration is 
brought home to Jesus' hearers all the more forcibly by bringing the 
living into the story (vv. 27-31). "Moses and the prophets" (v. 29), 
on whose teaching the money-loving rabbis rested so confidently 
(vv. 14-17), teach another use of money than that which the rabbis 
are making (v. 31). Glance over the list of Lukan characteristics in 
Study XIV and see whether any of them appear in chapter 16. 

2. A group of miscellaneous teachings are appended in 17: 1-10. 
If vv. 1-2 are not distinct in thought from vv. 3-4 they may mean 
that the disciples must not hinder those who are preparing for the 
Kingdom, and that consequently whenever their fellow disciples do 
wrong, they must have their attention called faithfully to the wrong, 
and when they repent, they must without fail be forgiven. Read 
vv. 1-4. Possibly vv. 5-6 may be connected with vv. 7-10, which 
warn the Twelve against the selfish ambition to be conspicuous for 
the achievements of their faith and which say that the essence of 
faith is the spirit of humble, devout service. Read w. 7-10. 

Personal Thought: "Faith as a grain of mustard seed." Real 
faith is so powerful a force that a very little can produce tremendous 
results. This is because its object is an Almighty God. Much so- 
called faith is spurious and springs simply from a selfish desire to do 
something that shall gain recognition for its possessor. 



142 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVII.— C^t ions:, €bentfttl % attrnep to Jerusalem 

{Continued) 

Fifth Day: The Thankful Samaritan Leper; the Rabbi's Ques- 
tion about the Time of the Kingdom. Luke 17:11-18:8 

1. Read 17: 11-19. Hear these ten leprous men "afar off" in their 
loneliness, shouting to Jesus for help and hear Him shout in reply. 
The last clause of v. 19 indicates that some effect had been pro- 
duced in this man beyond the physical cure of the leprosy that all 
had experienced. What features of this episode make it attractive 
to Luke ? 

2. Read 17:20-21. The question of the rabbis does not neces- 
sarily imply that they saw in Jesus a Messianic aspirant. They may 
have seen in Him only a prophet who proclaimed the nearness of the 
Kingdom. What is the meaning of His reply ? That is, when will 
the Kingdom come ? The more probable translation of the last clause 
of v. 21 is that in the margin, "in your midst." Read next what Jesus 
says, probably more privately, to His disciples in vv. 22-37. What 
impression regarding the date of the Messianic demonstration would 
these words make upon those who first heard them ? In v. 37 they 
ask where the Messianic demonstration will be made, perhaps ex- 
pecting Him to say that it will occur when they reach Jerusalem. 
The reply, in His usual parabolic fashion, probably means that the 
Messianic judgment will be experienced wherever there is anyone to 
be judged. 

There is a vague impression of delayed judgment made by this 
paragraph, and this impression is decidedly strengthend by the next 
paragraph, 18:1-8. Read the paragraph through. The situation 
is viewed from the standpoint of those who look to the judgment as 
a time of vindication and release from oppression (v. 7). Note 
that the last clause of v. 8 indicates a time of great trial which will 
severely test faith. Notice two or three Lukan characteristics in this 
paragraph. The argument evidently is not based on the supposition 
that God is like the unrighteous judge. 

Personal Thought: "And he fell upon his face at His feet, giving 
Him thanks." We need frequently to examine our prayers in order 
to see whether gratitude has any large place in them. What is your 
definition of gratitude ? What is the real meaning of "Thank you " ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 143 



Study XVII.— C^c ionff, eventful 3fottrncj> to S>ntsalem 

{Continued) 

Sixth Day : Those who can be Pronounced Ready for the 
New Kingdom ; Last Days Before the Arrival in Jerusalem. 
Luke 18:9-19:28 

1. Those who can he pronounced righteous and ready for the Mes- 
sianic judgment of the coming Kingdom are some of the so-called 
irreligious class rather than the selfish rabbis, little children, and those 
who use their money unselfishly (18:9-30). Read 18:9-14. What 
two characteristics of Luke appear here ? In what particulars was 
the character of the publican better than that of the rabbi ? 

Read vv. 15-17, the parallel to which has been already studied. 
Note what appears here as constituting readiness for the coming 
Kingdom. Read also vv. 18-30 and note the same thing. 

2. As Jesus draws near Jerusalem He speaks of His impending 
death; almost at His journey's end He reaches Jericho, where He gives 
sight to a blind beggar who recognizes Him as the Messiah; lodges 
with a wealthy member of the irreligious class; and warns His follow- 
ers that the Kingdom is not so near as they have supposed (18:31—19: 28). 
Read 18: 31-34. Note the apology for the apostles in v. 34. 

Read 18:35-43, the parallel to which has already been studied. 

Read again 19: 1-10, and note any of Luke's characteristic pecu- 
liarities. What was it in the publican's character that fitted him for 
the coming Kingdom (v. 9) ? 

Personal Thought: "He has gone in to lodge with a man who is 
a sinner!" The wonder of it has not ceased. The phenomenon is 
repeated generation after generation. The loving Spirit of Jesus 
Christ enters into the souls of men that are sinners not to "lodge" for 
a night, but to abide forevermore. The prospect of having Jesus 
lodge in his house for a single night began at once to purify the life of 
the publican; it made him determine to do whatever might be neces- 
sary in order to retain his guest. Think of yourself to-day as one 
with whom the living Soirit of Jesus Christ has come with infinite 
friendliness to abide. 



144 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVII.— Wc>t long:, ©toentfttl ^Tottrnep to ^entaalera 

(Concluded) 

Seventh Day : Last Days Before the Arrival in Jerusalem 
(concluded). Luke 19:11-28 

1. The disciples were living in an atmosphere charged with the 
sense of intense expectation. Their arrival in Jerusalem they hoped 
would witness the long deferred Messianic Demonstration. In the 
light of this thought read Luke 19: 11-28 and answer this question: 
What does the story say regarding the time of the Messianic Demon- 
stration (v. 11) ? The story not only contains a hint about the time 
of the Messianic Demonstration, but also says something about how 
those who watch for it are to spend their time. What are they to do 
in the meantime ? A parable in Matt. 25 similar to this one will be 
studied when we take up the Last Week. 

There seems to be a double parable here. The ten servants of the 
nobleman constitute a body by themselves. Entirely distinct from them 
are certain citizens who hoped the nobleman would not get the king- 
dom he had gone to secure and who determined not to submit to him 
if he did. The language suggests the journey of some local potentate 
to Rome to secure a grant of a kingdom from the emperor. What is 
the point of this part of the story in its application to Jesus' situation ? 

2. Spend a little time thinking of the Gospel of Luke as it has been 
briefly surveyed in the studies of the last four weeks. Glance over 
the headings of the daily studies. What aspect of the character of 
Jesus has been made most impressive to you ? 

Personal Thought: "We will not that this man reign over us" (v. 
14). Christianity in its last analysis is the relation of the individual 
to the person Jesus Christ. All opposition to Christianity is in essence 
unwillingness to have this man reign over us. "Wherefore also God 
highly exalted Him, and gave unto Him the name which is above every 
name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in 
heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every 
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God 
the Father." (Phil. 2:9-11). 



PART I 

STUDIES IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST AS 
PRESENTED IN THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS 



4. Detailed Study of the Last Week of the Life 
of Jesus Christ, According to the Synoptic Gospels. 
Studies xviii-xxiii 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 147 



Study XVIII.— ©&e Lagt Wtek in Sfetttsalem 

First Day : The Messianic Entrance into Jerusalem. Mark n: 
1-11; Matt. 21:1-11; Luke 19:29-44 

We have now traced the life of Jesus in all three Gospels up to 
the last week. The disciples did not dream that it was to be the last 
week. The long procession of Passover pilgrims that climbed the 
steep ascent out of the Jericho plain, and began the all-day walk to 
Jerusalem, contained many who believed that the Passover Week 
would witness the Messianic demonstration by the Galilean Prophet. 
The crowd would naturally have reached Jerusalem late in the after- 
noon, or perhaps, if they rested long during the heat of the day, in 
the evening. The Synoptic Gospels read as though they went at 
once into Jerusalem after a brief halt in the suburbs, but the narra- 
tive is so condensed that this inference may not be warranted. John's 
Gospel, as we shall see later, implies that at least Jesus and His com- 
pany rested over the Sabbath with friends in a suburb and did not 
go into the city until the first day of the week (John 12: 1, 2, 12). 
Jesus then did a somewhat unusual thing. He took pains to enter 
the city in a formal and pretentious way, requiring even that an animal 
be found for Him to ride on, and one that had never been ridden by 
another person. The crowds went wild with enthusiasm on the short 
way between the suburb and the city. Read Mark 1 1 : 1-1 1. Ac- 
cording to v. 2, Jesus exercised a prophet's power. Vv. 3-6 indicate 
that He and His disciples were so well known that the intimation 
that the Prophet wished to use the colt was sufficient to secure it. Why 
did He wish a colt that had not been used by another ? (Cf. Num. 
19:2; Deut. 21 : 3; I Sam. 6: 7.) "Lord" in this connection is equiv- 
alent to "Master" or "Rabbi." Do the crowds ascribe Messiahship 
to Jesus in vv. 9-10? "Hosanna" is a prayerful ejaculation, "Save 
I pray," like our "Long live the king." Why did Jesus now depart 
from His policy of reticence and encourage such a demonstration ? 

Personal Thought : In this Messianic entrance into His capital Jesus 
forevermore dignified the commonplace things and persons that were 
at hand: the colt that stood by the wayside, the plain country pil- 
grims, their dusty clothes, and the branches from the trees in the 
adjacent fields. Priests and rabbis, gold and silver, were wanting. 



148 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVIIL— Cfje last Week in 3fertu$alem 

Second Day : The Messianic Entrance into Jerusalem (con- 
cluded). Mark 11:1-11; Matt. 21:1-11; Luke 19:29-44 

1. According to Mark, the strange procession went at once to the 
temple. They marched through the long colonnades and over the 
broad beautiful open courts looking out on the interesting sights of 
the holy place (v. 11Y There must have been a stir among the 
priests! The city was filled with Passover pilgrims, and Jesus with 
the Twelve lodged in a suburb, as did many others. This He seems 
to have done every night of the Last Week (cf. Matt. 21:17; 
Luke 21 :37). 

2. Now read the account in Matt. 21: I-II, noting the additional 
particulars in vv. 2, 9, and the characteristic peculiarity in vv. 4-5. 
Every one ran to the doors and windows (v. 10). 

3. Read the account in Luke 19:29-44. Luke, with his charac- 
teristic tendency to glorify his Lord, and to emphasize the joyousness 
of the occasion, speaks of what occurred as the eager procession of 
pilgrims from the north country came around the shoulder of the hill 
and saw once more across the valley the Holy City that they loved. 
(Cf. Ps. 122; 137:5-6.) Read again vv. 37-38. For what did the 
rabbis in the crowd wish the disciples to be rebuked (v. 39) ? What 
does this indicate regarding Jesus' previous attitude towards any 
announcement of Messiahship ? What did He mean by v. 40 ? What 
is there peculiarly characteristic of Luke in the new subject-matter 
of vv. 41-44? What was seriously wrong in the city? Jesus would 
have seemed to the priests and rabbis a sentimental alarmist, for the 
temple revenues were being regularly received by the priests and large 
respectable classes of disciples greeted the rabbis. What did the 
words reveal as Jesus' ideal for the life of the city ? If He could 
have come into the city, and could have had His way with it, what 
changes would He have made in its life? 

Personal Thought : " If thou hadst known in this day, even thou, 
the things which belong unto peace!" The days go prosperously by, 
but are the foundations of an everlasting peace being laid in your 
life ? Do you see the significance of these quiet college days in which 
the Spirit of Jesus Christ stands over against you waiting to be recog- 
nized as the Lord of your life? Do you recognize your days of 
visitation ? 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 149 



Study XVIIL— C&e last Wtt\ in gcrttsalem 

Third Day: The Expulsion of the Bazaar Men from the Tem- 
ple. Mark 11:15-19; Matt. 21:12-17; Luke 21:45-48 

I. Much to the relief of the priests and rabbis, the Prophet had 
taken no decisive step when the enthusiastic procession paraded the 
streets and temple courts. But on the next day He did something 
that made them apprehensive. At the Passover season, when the 
Jews came to Jehovah's courts from all over the world, the business 
of the city greatly increased. Great numbers of birds, sheep, and 
oxen were required for sacrifices, and the coins of many nations had 
to be exchanged for money current in Jerusalem. The priests allowed 
bazaars to be opened in the great temple courts. Very probably they - 
were financially interested in them. As a result, the devout pilgrim 
Jews, who came from many nations to pray quietly in Jehovah's house 
found the air filled with the excited cries incident to oriental barter. 
These bazaars were probably in the "court of the Gentiles." Gen- 
tile worshippers who came long distances to pray would find Jews 
quarreling over a few coins. Moreover, these temple bazaars had 
evidently become infamous because of the rapacity of the traders. 
The traders fleeced the country people unmercifully. The Nazareth 
neighbors brought back reports of outrageous treatment at their hands 
year by year. The temple hill had become a veritable den of brigands. 
Read Mark 11 : 15-19. Why did the traders yield to Jesus and leave ? 
It had evidently been customary to take a short-cut across the temple 
area (v. 16). Why did Jesus put a stop to this? How could He 
enforce His ideas ? The Synoptic Gospels give very few explicit state- 
ments regarding dates. V. 12 states that this expulsion of the bazaar 
men occurred on the "morrow" after the Messianic entry. John 
12:1, 12 makes it at least probable that the Messianic entry occurred 
on our Sunday, and the expulsion of the bazaar men on Monday. 
The significance of vv. 13-14 will be considered later. 

2. Read Matt. 21 : 12-17. Picture the scene described in vv. 14-16. 
What is there characteristic of Matthew in the striking contrast pre- 
sented in vv. 14-15 ? What in v. 16 ? 

3. Read Luke 21:45-48. Does it present the situation as con- 
cretely and vividly as Mark ? 

Personal Thought : "My house shall be a house of prayer for all 
nations." In God's national ideal there stood at the nation's center 
a prayer-house, Is prayer the central, feature of your life ? 



150 Studies in the Life of jesus Christ 



Study XVIIL— (E&e last Wttia in f erusalem 

Fourth Day: An Illustration of the Power of Faith in God. 
Mark 1 1 : 20-25 ; Matt. 21 : 18-22 

On the way in from Bethany Monday morning Jesus was hungry, 
and seeing a fig-tree in the distance the leaves of which indicated an 
unusually early maturity, He went over to it for figs, but found none 
and addressed certain solemn words to it. Read Mark 11:12-14. 
It is sometimes argued that His hunger is evidence that He had spent 
the night in prayer, and not in the house of his friends. Consider 
how important the events of the preceding day had been. It is not neces- 
sary to suppose that Jesus addressed the fig-tree in anger. Prophets 
often did things that were symbolical (cf. Ezek. 4: 1-3), and it became 
evident on the next morning (Tuesday) on the way in from Bethany 
that Jesus had wished to do something impressively symbolical in 
this act. Read Mark 1 1 : 20-25 and compare the slightly different 
representation in Matt. 21:18-22. What did Jesus use the fig-tree 
incident to teach ? It is often said that the leafy, fruitless fig-tree 
was symbolical of the nation, luxuriant in religious ceremonialism, but 
barren of righteousness. Is there any hint of this in Jesus' remarks ? 
Remember what means the disciples probably expected Jesus to use 
in order to establish His Kingdom. They were looking forward to 
high political offices as the means of achievement (cf. Mark 10:35- 
■$j). They had taken great satisfaction in the multitude that had 
brought Him into the city. On what, then, according to His teaching 
here were they chiefly to rely in establishing the New Order ? Per- 
haps there comes to the surface here something of the conflict that 
may have been going on in Jesus' own personal experience. The 
force of v. 23 is this: "Through the prayer of faith in God it is pos- 
sible not merely to wither this fig-tree on the slope of the Mount of 
Olives, but even to pluck up the mountain itself and hurl it into the 
Mediterranean." It is evidently an impressive oriental way of say- 
ing that things apparently impossible can be done by God in re- 
sponse to prayer. Does this mean that everything will happen that 
a man can succeed in making himself believe will happen ? How 
can a man make himself believe that anything he asks for will happen ? 
Compare the following, verse by verse, with the context: 

"Therefore the thing to do is to live in such close spiritual rela- 
tion to God as will enable you to want what He wants, and when you 
ask Him for a thing to be sure that He has at once granted it, and 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 151 



that you have already virtually received it. Then it will come to 
pass (v. 24). But in order to obtain such close relationship and 
spiritual sympathy with God as will enable you to pray with confi- 
dence, you must have perfect love in your hearts, even towards those 
who have injured you. There has been some hard feeling among 
you lately (cf. Mark 10:41). Do not think that God, who is Him- 
self perfect love, can forgive your sins and admit you into this close 
relationship to Himself while you have an unforgiving spirit in your 
hearts (v. 25)." 

The compact statement made in these verses seems to imply and 
rest upon certain unexpressed general principles: (1) Prayer must 
be offered with regard for the good of all concerned. There can 
be no selfish prayer. (2) It is only a soul which lives in intimate 
communion with God that can know what appears to God to be 
such. "We know not what we should pray for as we ought, but 
the Spirit helpeth our infirmities." (3) The condition of this com- 
munion with God and enlightenment from His Spirit is a heart of 
good-will. (4) Our duty, therefore, is to cultivate this heart of good- 
will, and its consequent intimate relationship with Him, and to watch 
for the suggestions of His Spirit as to what we shall pray for. (5) 
In the meantime, we submissively and increasingly make all our wants 
and desires known to Him, even though we cannot yet pray, with the 
confidence here described, for the granting of any one of them. (6) 
God often waits for His children to act upon these suggestions of the 
Spirit and pray before He does things, because a great principle of 
His dealing with men is that they shall be developed by sharing with 
Him in all possible ways His achievement of good results. By such 
prayer men do share the desires and purposes and achievements of 
God. He therefore incites, and sometimes, though not always, waits, 
for such prayer before He acts. 



152 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVIIL— C&e last Wtt\ in ^ernaalem 

Fifth Day: Jesus' Replies When Informally Called to Account 
by the Priests and Rabbis. Mark 1 1 : 27-12 : 12; Matt. 21 : 23-27, 
33-46; Luke 20:1-19 

1. We can scarcely imagine what consternation was produced 
among the priests and rabbis by the vigorous action of Jesus on Monday 
morning. Read Mark 11 : 27-33 f° r a nmt °f lt ' Who are the par- 
ties that face Him in the temple colonnade, and what is their authority 
(v. 27)? Cf. 14:53 and 15:1 in order to ascertain. Of what do 
they complain? That is, what do they refer to as "these things" 
(v. 28) ? Remember that the priests are the natural custodians of 
the temple. What reply had they expected, and what course of ac- 
tion had they probably laid out ? Why does Jesus not answer their 
question directly ? Instead of doing so He asks a question that seems 
at first thought irrelevant. It really, however, raises the great ques- 
tion that is agitating the nation; it asks them their opinion of Himself. 
He and John the Baptist were closely identified. John the Baptist 
had endorsed Jesus as a great prophet, and no one could sanction or 
repudiate John without sanctioning or repudiating Jesus. 

2. Jesus, however, did not stop with this. Read the parable in 
Mark 12:1-12 in which He proceeded to give them a veiled, though 
exceedingly suggestive answer to their question. The parable de- 
scribed a vineyard, and that fact was one of great significance to them 
for this was a familiar figure of the prophets. (Cf. Ps. 80:8 ft 7 .; Is. 
5:2 ft 7 .; Jer. 2:21). The vineyard was thoroughly equipped with a 
hedge, a wine press, a wine cistern under the press, and a watch tower. 
What answer does the parable suggest to the question in 11:28? 
What is its warning ? In vv. 10-11 He turns directly upon them with 
a quotation from Ps. 118:22 and charges them with being like stupid 
builders who have not sense enough to recognize the stone which the 
architect has chosen for the great corner-stone. 

3. Glance at the parallel to this parable in Matt. 21:33-43 and 
note any peculiar characteristics of Matthew. 

Personal Thought : "This was from the Lord." It is certain that 
Jesus Christ will one day dominate human society. God has willed 
it. Men may ignore Him or oppose Him, but it will make no differ- 
ence with the final result. In the details of Christian living we need 
a strong sense of being connected with a great and winning cause. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 153 



Study XVIII.— C^)e Last Wttk in Sferttsalein 

Sixth Day: Jesus' Replies When Informally Called to Account 
by the Priests and Rabbis (concluded). Matt. 21:28-32, 22: 
1-14 

1. Matthew gives a more extended account of Jesus' reply to the 
informal inquiry made by the representatives of the Sanhedrin. It 
is in harmony with the spirit of his Gospel to make the most of Jesus' 
denunciation of the Jewish leaders. Read Matt. 21 : 28-32. What 
is the point of this story ? What would these rabbis have said about 
John the Baptist if they had been asked for an opinion regarding him ? 

2. Read Matt. 22:1-14. It is a double parable, vv. 11-14 con- 
stituting a separate part. Considering Jesus to be still facing the 
committee of inquiry appointed by the Sanhedrin, what is the point 
of the story in vv. T-10 ? Who is the king ? The king's son ? Who 
are those who were first invited ? Those from the highways ? As 
you answer these questions imagine yourself to be one of the Sanhe- 
drin delegation. 

Vv. 1 1 -1 4 supply a corrective to one who might infer from the preced- 
ing statements that no moral preparation whatever is necessary for the 
New Order. It was perfectly possible to have made the necessary 
preparation, as the last clause in v. 12 shows. "The outer darkness" 
was apparently a phrase used commonly to designate the abode of 
the wicked. The Messianic banquet was brilliantly lighted; with- 
out was darkness. What does the wedding garment represent ? That 
is, what does Jesus teach constitutes readiness for the New Order ? 
To determine this, remember what has been said by Jesus during 
the long period of teaching preceding this last week in Jerusalem. 
Why are few chosen (v. 14) ? 

Personal Thought: "They made light of it and went their ways." 
The invitation did not seem to them to be a matter of great impor- 
tance. God's invitation into His eternal Kingdom is issued. The 
problem before the disciples of Jesus Christ is in some way to make 
men see that this invitation is real and serious; that a man must not 
"go his way" as though he had not been invited by the living God. 
Is the atmosphere of your life so charged with the sense of the reality of 
such an invitation as to make an impression upon those who have to 
do with you ? 



154 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XVIIL— C&e Last Wttk in ^ntsalem 

Seventh Day: The Plot of the Rabbis and the Herodians. Mark 
12:13-17; Matt. 22:15-22; Luke 20:20-26 

1. The feeling against Jesus among the priests and rabbis was ex- 
ceedingly bitter. Many informal secret meetings were doubtless held, 
and various plots were laid to make Jesus take some misstep that 
should destroy or diminish His popularity. The first attempt was 
made by a committee composed of Pharisaic rabbis and Herodians. 
Remember that once before the Pharisees had endeavored to enlist 
the Herod party against Jesus (Mark 3:6). Herod had no jurisdic- 
tion here in Jerusalem, but Jesus Himself was a Galilean, and the 
Sanhedrin would have been glad to involve Jesus in some trouble 
with Herod. The Galileans were, as we have seen, a high-spirited 
people whose interest in the Messianic Kingdom was largely due to 
their expectation that under the new Kingdom Roman rule and its 
humiliating taxation would be forevermore a thing of the past. 
But Herod and his party favored Roman rule. Bear this general 
situation in mind, and remember that now Jerusalem and its 
suburbs were filled with hundreds of thousands of devout Jews from 
all over the empire, in addition to the permanent population of the 
city. The Roman procurator was there with a special detachment 
of troops in the barracks, waiting for an outbreak such as was always 
likely to occur in connection with these sacred feasts. Now read 
Mark 12:13-17. Why did they think that the question in vv. 14-15 
would be an awkward question for Jesus to answer ? What would 
they have done with His reply if He had said "Yes" ? What if He 
had said "No"? In what did their hypocrisy consist? How did 
Jesus avoid the dilemma ? That is, what was the meaning of His 
reply? Did He believe in paying the humiliating Roman poll-tax? 
The reply certainly advocated a better obedience to God as an im- 
mediate duty of the nation. Many of the rabbis felt this. In the 
Talmud they are represented as saying that if Israel would only keep 
one Sabbath as it ought to be kept, the Kingdom would come. 

2. Read Matt. 22:15-22 and see whether it adds anything. Read 
also Luke 22:20-26. See how Luke in v. 20 (cf. Mark 12: 13) adapts 
his presentation of the situation to his non-Jewish readers. 

Personal Thought : Are you in the habit of considering your duty 
as a citizen as a part of your duty to God ? To be negligent in the 
discharge of civic responsibility, is to be at fault as a Christian. 



Studies in the Life of jesus Christ 155 



Study XIX.— %\t lafit Wttk in ^ttsalcm (Continued) 

First Day: The Plot of the Sadducees. Mark 12:18-27; Matt. 
22 : 23-33 ; Luke 20 : 27-39 

1. The Sadducees were the logical descendants of those who in 
the great conflict two centuries before had been willing to adopt Greek 
civilization. The Pharisees were the logical descendants of those 
who had stood for the old Hebrew faith and customs. The Saddu- 
cees of Jesus' time were still the liberals. They did not believe in 
existence after death (Acts 23 : 8). Their significance in the time of 
Jesus was largely due to the fact that the family which furnished the 
high priests had for some time been a Sadducean family (Acts 5:17). 
A delegation of Sadducees now appears and presents to Jesus a sup- 
positional case which was probably frequently used by them in their 
discussions. It seemed to them that they proved their point by a 
reductio ad absurdum : obedience to Moses' law would result in a grossly 
immoral polyandrous civilization if there were continued existence 
after death! Read Mark 12 : 18-27. ^ n v - 2 4 what are the two criti- 
cisms that Jesus makes, upon their argument ? He amplifies the 
second of the two in v. 25. How does the situation described in v. 
25 show the underestimated power of God ? The first of the two 
criticisms is amplified in vv. 26-27. The "bush passage" is Ex. 3: 6. 
What is Jesus' argument from it ? That is, how does Jesus prove ex- 
istence after death ? The argument is evidently not in the use of the 
present tense "am," for this verb, as is indicated by the italics, does 
not occur in the original. The argument as stated in v. 28 might be 
translated : "He is not a God of dead persons, but of living persons." 
State the argument jn your own words. 

It is assumed by Jesus that to prove continued existence after death 
is equivalent to proving the resurrection. Perhaps the assumption 
is that if persons exist at all they will surely exist in some more glori- 
ous form, namely, in the more glorious resurrection body. 

2. Glance at Matt. 22 : 23-33, ana " rea ^ carefully Luke 20 : 27-39, 
Notice Luke's ampler explanation for his hearers in vv. 34-36, 38. 

Personal Thought: Friendship with God is so profound a reality 
that death cannot destroy it. He would be a cheap God whose 
friendship could be forever terminated by a bullet crashing through 
the brain, or by a microbe in the system. Think to-day of the 
eternal character of your relation to God. 



156 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XIX.— Cfje Last Wtz\ in Jerusalem {Continued) 

Second Day: The Rabbi's Question; Jesus' Attack upon the Rab- 
bis. Mark 12:28-37; Matt. 22:34-46; Luke 20:41-44 

1. After Jesus had disposed of the Pharisees, Herodians and Sad- 
ducees, a rabbi standing by undertook to test His skill as a teacher 
by asking Him a fundamental question, to answer which would require 
rabbinical acumen. The rabbi seems to have been more free from 
prejudice than most of his class. Read Mark 12:28-34. Compare 
Deut. 6 : 4 and Lev. 19:18. Read also Matt. 22 : 34-40. In what 
respect is the second commandment "like" the first (v. 39) ? 

2. Jesus now attacks the rabbis upon their own ground. He has 
answered their test questions, and they must now answer His. His 
first question exposes the inadequacy and confusion of their Messi- 
anic conception. It is Matthew, with his usual tendency to denounce 
the rabbis, who this time outlines the situation more sharply than 
does Mark. Read Mark 12:35-37; Matt. 22:41-46 and Luke 20: 
41-44. In the current interpretation of Ps. no, David was under- 
stood to say that the Lord Jehovah said to his (David's) Lord, namely, 
the Messiah, "Sit thou on my right hand," etc. The question seems 
to have been this : How could great David call one of his own 
descendants by so exalted a title as Lord ? What is your answer 
to the question ? Why could the rabbis not answer it ? We do not 
appreciate the great intensity with which these rabbinical questions 
were discussed, nor the extreme disgrace attached to incompetence in 
their discussion. 

3. After Jesus' question had so surprisingly exposed the incom- 
petence of the rabbis, He took them up in His public "teaching," or 
lecturing, and unsparingly pointed out their defects. Read Mark 
12:38-40. The "devouring of widows' houses" may refer to the 
gifts which the rabbis encouraged susceptible women to make, or 
possibly to the rapacity of the money lenders. In popular estima- 
tion, this "condemnation" would occur at the Messianic judgment 
which in the expectation of Jesus' disciples was so near. 

Personal Thought: The love of being prominent in religious ac- 
tivity ; the haste to see whether the newspapers have noticed our con- 
nection with an occasion — these are the traits which weak, foolish 
human nature needs to guard against, and they can be overcome 
only by a deepening sense of the reality and presence of God. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 157 



Study XIX.— &f>t last Wtt\ in 3>ttt6alem {Continued) 
Third Day : Jesus' Attack upon the Rabbis (concluded). Matt. 23 

In Matthew, as we should expect, there appears a much longer 
report of Jesus' attack upon the rabbis. It may be that Matthew 
has collected here things logically related, though spoken on differ- 
ent occasions. First of all, read Matt. 23 entirely through, bearing 
in mind the critical character of the occasion and reading the words 
as though for the first time. As you do this make a list in your own 
language of the defects pointed out by Jesus. What is a "hypocrite" ? 

The "phylacteries" (v. 5) were prayer straps, little leather cases 
strapped on the arm or forehead containing pieces of parchment on 
which were written Ex. 13:2-10, 11-17; Deut. 6:4-9, ir: 13-22. 
They were called "phylacteries" probably because they were thought 
to protect as amulets against evil influences. 

V. 13 refers to the hard and artificial conditions imposed by the 
rabbis upon those who would secure entrance into the Kingdom. 

V. 15 implies considerable missionary activity on the part of the 
rabbis among the foreigners. 

Vv. 16-22 allude to the foolish and minute distinctions regarding 
oaths. 

Tombs were whitewashed so that they might be readily seen, es- 
pecially at night, and the ceremonial contamination contracted by 
touching them be avoided (v. 27). 

Mint, anise, and cummin (v. 23) were among the smallest of the 
garden products. 

The rabbis admitted that they came of murderous stock, and they 
certainly inherited the same venomous disposition that characterized 
their ancestors (vv. 31 ff.). According to Matthew's Gospel, Jesus 
left the temple hill on this Tuesday evening with the impressive words 
in vv. 37-39. 

Personal Thought: "Ye tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and 
have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, 
and faith." We need constantly to guard against making some 
minor point of morals a test of character rather than points of funda- 
mental importance. It is not that we are too particular about the 
small point, but that we are so satisfied with our scrupulousness in 
the small matter that we forget to notice the unfairness of our judg- 
ments of others, our hard feeling toward those who injure us, and 
our insulting lack of confidence in God. 



158 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XIX.— Cl)e last Wttt in Sfertusalem (Continued) 

Fourth Day: The Generous Widow; the Time of the Messianic 
Demonstration. Mark 12:41-13:37; Matt. 24-25; Luke 21:1-36 

1. After the exciting discussions of Tuesday were over, Jesus sat 
resting and watching the people bring their gifts. He listened to the 
clinking of the coins in the great receptacle. Many of the givers were 
wealthy men with large donations, but none of them affected Jesus 
as did one poor woman whose dress showed her to be a widow, and 
whose offering was so pitifully small that it seemed not worth her 
while to have brought it. Read Mark 12:41-44. Is there anything 
in the preceding context (vv. 38-40) suggestive of widows ? What 
did Jesus represent to be the true standard of benevolence ? Did 
His disciples (v. 43) particularly need to hear what Jesus had to say 
on this subject ? 

2. When they finally started for Bethany, and were passing through 
one of the great exits of the temple courts, some of His Galilean dis- 
ciples, not accustomed to the grandeur by constant residence in Jeru- 
salem, broke out into admiring exclamations over the size of the stones 
and the beauty of the buildings in the temple enclosure. This led 
Jesus to make an astounding statement. A few minutes later, when 
they had crossed the Kidron valley and had climbed the hill, four 
of the Twelve dropped behind the rest, and sitting down with Jesus 
at a place where they could look directly across the valley to the 
temple enclosure on the other side, pressed Him for an explanation 
of His startling statement. Read the vivid account of this in Mark 
13: 1-4; also read the less vivid parallels in Matt. 24: 1-3 and Luke 
21 : 5-7. Read all of Mark 13 quickly through for first impressions 
and in preparation for further study to-morrow. 

Personal Thought: "He beheld how the multitude cast money 
into the treasury" (12:41). We need when giving to be conscious 
that our Lord's eye is upon us, not viewing our gifts severely or criti- 
cally, but with careful and just discrimination. We need therefore 
to ask ourselves regarding all our gifts : Should I give this amount 
to this object if Jesus Himself were visibly present to witness the 
gift ? We should not throw into the contribution box the smallest 
coin we have in our pockets if the box were in His hand. Some con- 
tribution boxes perhaps He would not consent to offer. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 159 



Study XIX.— ©I)e last Wzt\ in Jerusalem {Continued) 

FlFTH Day: The Time of the Messianic Demonstration (continued). 
Mark 13; Matt. 24-25; Luke 21:5-36 

I. Read again Mark 13: 1-4 and Matt. 24: 1-3. Before studying 
Jesus' famous reply to the questions of the four disciples, it is necessary 
to realize the standpoint from which they asked the questions. Our 
first inquiry must always be: What thought were these words in- 
tended to convey to those who first heard them ? The four men be- 
lieved Jesus to be the Messiah; they did not expect Him to die; they 
believed that when He chose to make His public Messianic demon- 
stration He would first of all hold a Messianic judgment. This judg- 
ment would terminate the present age and introduce the Messianic 
Kingdom of God, the age to come. Jesus had seemed to imply that 
in, or before, this judgment the beautiful, sacred temple would be 
utterly destroyed ! He had always been very reticent about discussing 
the time of His Messianic demonstration. Indeed, He seems seldom 
to have discussed the question of His Messiahship at all. It was, 
therefore, a somewhat bold thing which these four leaders did when 
they questioned Jesus regarding the matter. They seemed to feel 
that He had decided not to make a Messianic demonstration at pres- 
ent. Perhaps the parable in Luke 19: 11-28 is suggestive of more 
that was said by Him relative to the delay of the demonstration. His 
lament over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), in which He predicted that 
the city would be besieged, and the remark He had just made about 
the destruction of the temple, seemed to necessitate the assumption 
that He would not now make the long deferred demonstration. 
Perhaps they inferred from His repeated predictions of death and 
resurrection that He would disappear for a time and reappear sud- 
denly in decisive Messianic glory. 

The question as reported in Mark simply asks when the temple will 
be destroyed, but that this destruction of the temple is regarded 
as closely connected with the Messianic demonstration which will 
end the age, is evident from the way in which Jesus replies. In 
Matthew (24:3) three things are distinctly connected: the destruction 
of the temple, the Messianic demonstration, and the consummation 
of the age. The disciples would not necessarily have thought that 
the destruction of the temple would be a part of the Messianic de- 
monstration, but they would naturally have thought that the demon- 
stration and the end of the age would be the same. The discourse 



i6o Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



of Jesus made it evident to the disciples that the destruction of Jeru- 
salem would occur in the near future. Read Mark 13:30. Jesus 
left it uncertain whether or not much time would elapse between the 
destruction of the city and the Messianic demonstration that would 
close the age. The word "immediately" in Matt. 24: 29 seems nat- 
urally to indicate a short time. Mark 13 : 24 is not so explicit. Luke 
21 : 24 suggests the idea which we find in Paul's letter to the Romans, 
chap. II, which implies a period of considerable length, though not 
necessarily longer than one generation, for Paul felt that the demon- 
stration might occur in his own day. There were confusion and un- 
certainty for some decades in the minds of the early Christians on this 
point. The general impression among them seems to have been that 
the final demonstration would occur in their own generation. The 
fact seems to be that in this conversation on the Mount of Olives 
Jesus indicated that an interval would elapse between the destruc- 
tion of the city and the Messianic demonstration, but did not give the 
length of the interval, and the disciples naturally, though wrongly, 
as the event has shown, thought of it as a very short one. Such mis- 
apprehension on their part is not strange. This was a subject on 
which God did not choose to enlighten them. Jesus Himself in Acts 
1 : 6-7 is reported to have told them distinctly that this was a subject 
regarding which they need not expect to be enlightened. 

2. Read once more Mark 13 : 5-37, and answer this question : What 
are the main purposes of the discourse ? That is, what did Jesus 
intend to accomplish by it ? You will be helped to answer this 
question by summing up in a single sentence each, the thought of 
the five paragraphs into which the discourse breaks up : 5-8, 9-13, 14- 
23, 24-27, 28-37. 

Personal Thought: In so vast an enterprise as the development 
of an ideal human civilization that shall include what we are accus- 
tomed to call the "dead" as well as the "living," sudden and sig- 
nificant crises may be expected as well as slow growth. The human 
mind needs the spur of great expectations like those that are aroused 
by this discourse of Jesus. At the same time, it needs to keep the 
emphasis steadily where Jesus so decisively puts it, namely, on the 
importance of preparing now for a future emergency. Great demon- 
strations of the power of Jesus surely await us somewhere and some- 
time, and it is incumbent on us to be ready for them. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 161 



Study XIX.— C&e last Wttk in ^zxmvXzvn. {Continued) 

Sixth Day: The Time of the Messianic Demonstration (continued). 
Mark 13; Matt. 24-25; Luke 21:5-36 

Vv. 5-8 contain a warning against being deceived and led to 
follow false Christs. This paragraph assumes that Jesus will have dis- 
appeared. This assumption must have been perplexing to the four 
men on the hillside. Of course, later, after Jesus' death, resurrec- 
tion, and disappearance into the heavens, they understood these things 
that perplexed them so at the moment. Doubtless this report of the 
conversation is much condensed, and is made from the standpoint 
of their later and better understanding of its meaning. "Beware 
lest anyone deceive you by making you believe that he is the Christ 
come to execute judgment upon the nation" (vv. 5-6). Does this 
imply that He may be expected to appear in a form that His old dis- 
ciples may not recognize ? Or that they will have abandoned the 
theory that Jesus is the Messiah and be ready to look for another ? 
"You will hear of many wars and rumors of wars, which will seem 
to you likely to bring armies through Palestine to destroy Jerusalem, 
but such will not be their result and they will not indicate the end of 
the age. You will also hear of earthquakes and famines over the 
world such as might overthrow the city and destroy its inhabitants, 
and such might seem to indicate the catastrophe which ends the age. 
These are only the beginnings of birth pangs preliminary to more 
serious suffering which will result in the birth of the Kingdom" (vv. 
7-8), Compare Matt. 24: 4-8 and Luke 21 : 8-10. 

Vv. 9-13 contain a warning against becoming discouraged because 
of the persecutions that are to precede the catastrophe. "You will 
be called to account not only before the local sanhedrins of all the 
villages and be sentenced by them to beatings in the synagogues, but 
you will even be called to account by rulers and kings among the 
Gentiles and will testify to them of me, for the Gospel is to be preached 
to all Gentiles before the end of the age comes (vv. 9-10). The per- 
secutions will be bitter, but you will be cared for, and those that endure 
to the end of the age will be saved in the Messianic Kingdom" (vv. 11- 
13). Read Matt. 24:9-14 and Luke 21:12-19. 

Vv. 14-23 speak of signs indicating the time for Christians to leave 
Jerusalem. Jesus referred to Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 12: 11 ; 9: 27) 
which predicts some abominable thing that produces desolation. At 
the time when Mark's Gospel was written, Christians seem generally 



1 62 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



to have agreed as to what this meant, but it was something that they 
did not dare to mention in writing. In the parenthesis in v. 14 the 
author speaks of it as something his hearers will understand, though 
he does not mention it. Their fear of mentioning it leads to the 
surmise that it was some representative of the Roman government 
who should appear in Jerusalem. To speak of him openly would 
seem treasonable, for his overthrow is assumed in this prediction of 
Messianic judgment. "I have told you what are not to be taken 
as indications of the near destruction of Jerusalem. Now I will tell 
you what is the true sign of it. It is the abominable thing which 
brings desolation standing where he ought not (we know what He 
meant by that). Then let not merely the Christians who are citizens 
of Jerusalem, but even those who live anywhere in Judea, flee to the 
mountain retreats. Let them do so instantly, and without attempting 
to save any possessions (vv. 15-16). The fact that you can take 
nothing with you and that your flight will be so rapid, will make it 
hard for those with child (v. 17) and you will suffer much from ex- 
posure if it occurs in the winter season (v. 18). I urge a hasty flight, 
for the suffering of those days will exceed anything the world has 
ever seen (v. 19), and if the Lord let it go on no one would survive 
it. But for the sake of those among the believers who will not have 
succeeded in escaping to the mountains, or who would be destroyed 
in the mountains should the destructive power not be checked, God 
will not let it go on (v. 20). At that time there will be many falsely 
pretending to be the Christ or God's prophets" (vv. 21-23). Read 
Matt. 24:15-28; Luke 21:20-24. 

Vv. 24-27 describe the Messianic judgment in figurative language 
suggestive of the prophets (cf. Is. 13:10,34:4; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 
2:30-32). Read Matt. 24:29-31 and Luke 21:25-28. 

Vv. 28-37 contain two parables. What is the point of the one in 
vv. 28-29? Of the one in v. 34? Vv. 30-31 seem to refer to the 
destruction of Jerusalem, while v. 32 refers to the Messianic judg- 
ment. Read also Matt. 24:32-41 and Luke 21:29-36. Notice 
Luke's emphasis of prayer in v. 36. 

Personal ^Thought: "To stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 
21:36). When humanity has passed through all its purifying trials, 
it will be Jesus Christ before whom it finally stands, and it will be 
Jesus Christ who will appoint its high career. The human race will 
serve its highest end in the use that Jesus Christ will make of it. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 163 



Study XIX.— (ZH&e last fflctk in ^Jerusalem (Continued) 

SEVENTH Day: The Time of the Messianic Demonstration (con- 
tinued). Matt. 25:1-13 

The subject of the judgment was so congenial to Matthew that it 
is not surprising to find his report of Jesus' discourse on the Messianic 
judgment longer than that in Mark or Luke. He reports in 24:43-51 
what Luke assigns to another occasion, but the whole of chapter 25 
is peculiar to him, and it is this chapter that contains the most vivid 
portrayal of the judgment to be found in all the Gospels (vv. 31-46). 

He reports the story of the wise and foolish bridesmaids (vv. 1-12). 
Ten village girls were delegated to meet the bridegroom, either at the 
bride's home or at the bridegroom's home, when he came back with 
his bride from her home. The bridegroom was to come after dark 
when everyone in the dark streets would need a light. Five of the 
girls thoughtlessly took no little jars of oil with them for their lamps, 
but the other more thoughtful five took oil. The bridegroom's com- 
ing was so much delayed that all of the girls fell asleep. At midnight 
it was shouted that the bridegroom's party was approaching. All 
waked and began to light their lamps, but five of the girls found that 
theirs would only smoulder for a moment and then go out. They 
hurried away to buy oil, but when they returned the bridegroom was 
received, the feast had begun, the doors were shut. It was too late. 
Read the story (25:1-13) with active imagination. It is probably a 
mistake to see significance in the details of the parable, such as the 
number ten, or to make the oil and the lamps signify various things. 
There was one great lesson for the four men who heard it (Mark 13:3), 
and all to whom it has since come. What is that lesson as stated in 
v. 13? "Day and hour" of what ? In answering take into account 
the discussion in chap. 24 with which this is closely connected. Here 
again, as once before, the question arises: What, according to Jesus' 
teaching, constitutes a man ready for this occasion ? 

Personal Thought: "And the door was shut." There is such a 
thing as the end of opportunity. There may be a question as to 
whether opportunity ends abruptly through an arbitrary act of God, 
or through the more gradual operation of the laws of development 
which God has instituted, but in either case there is an end of oppor- 
tunity. It is those who are keenly alive to the presence of opportunity 
who are devoutly eager to use it, and to use it immediately, that pass 
surely into the great eternal successes of life. 



164 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XX.— C^e last Wtt\ in ^txusaUm. (Continued) 

First Day: The Time of the Messianic Demonstration (continued). 
Matt. 25:14-30 

According to Matthew, Jesus used another very impressive story 
to impress His thought further. It is a story from business life. A 
man of some means had occasion to go abroad. He did not wish his 
estate to be unproductive, and so left with three of his servants sums 
of money adapted in amount to the business ability of each. When 
he came back, the two who had received the larger amounts reported 
that they had doubled the sums left with them, and were accordingly 
commended. The servant who had received the smallest sum re- 
ported no increase, and was severely punished. Read the para- 
graph (25:14-30) very carefully. 

The story of the bridesmaids with the torch lamps emphasized 
the importance of being ready for something at a given moment. This 
story of the faithful investors emphasizes the way in which time ought 
to be spent in order to be ready for this event. The essential feature 
in the story is something given a man, capable of being increased, 
the faithful increasing of which prepares for the day of reckoning. Is 
it possible now to be more specific and state what it is in the sphere 
of the spiritual life that is given to man, capable of being increased, 
the faithful increasing of which prepares for the Christ's judgment? 
This point is discussed later in the "Studies in the Teaching of Jesus 
and His Apostles." Notice for a moment the next paragraph, vv. 
31-46, and see whether it throws any light on the question. 

Does v. 21 give any suggestion regarding the character of life and 
its occupations in the age to come ? That is, is it fair to see any sig- 
nificance in the phrase "set thee over many things," and if so, what ? 
Why did the man with one talent refuse to invest his money (vv. 24- 

27)? 

Personal Thought: "For unto everyone that hath shall be given." 
The man who will faithfully and devoutly so use what he has as to 
increase it is one to whom common sense says more should be given. 

You may seem to yourself to have so very little to start with that 
it is not worth while to use it, but remember that the only way to get 
more is to use what little you have. No man ever made his capital 
productive without beginning to invest it, however little it was. No 
man ever became effective in any form of Christian ministry without 
beginning to use what power he already had. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 165 



Study XX.— (E%e last Wttk in ^erttsalem {Continued) 

SECOND Day: The Time of the Messianic Demonstration (con- 
cluded). Matt. 25:31-46 

As the five men sat on the Mount of Olives looking across to Je- 
hovah's House and into the twilight fading out of the western sky 
beyond, Jesus drew for them the wonderful picture in Matt. 25:31— 
46. It was in a sense the final putting of the great idea to the teach- 
ing of which He had given His life. The discussion up to this point 
had been about the Messianic demonstration, and now He pictured 
the judgment itself. Read the paragraph very carefully, and answer 
these questions: Who is the judge? What is the standard of judg- 
ment ? That is, what fits certain persons to survive the Messianic 
judgment and pass on into the age to come ? What actually happens 
to those who are found prepared for the judgment ? To those found 
unprepared ? Note the solemn sound of the pronouns "I," "thou," 
"I," "thou." The individual and the Christ-judge stand face 
to face. What does Jesus mean by saying, "Inasmuch as ye did 
it not unto these ye did it not unto me" ? Consider whether this 
description of the judgment throws any light upon the character 
and occupations of the life to come. If this description shows what 
qualities are to be looked for in the Christ's judgment, what use will 
be made of them in the age to come ? 

The four men passed thoughtfully on to Bethany with their Lord, 
doubtless confused by much that they could not at the moment un- 
derstand. Some things would become clearer to them within a few 
months; some things the world waits yet to understand. A modest 
conservatism is surely desirable in the discussion of a subject con- 
cerning which Jesus made the confession found in Mark 13:32. 

Personal Thought: "When saw we thee?" These persons sim- 
ply had not noticed the significance of daily life. Opportunities for 
the exercise and expression of sympathetic good-will had occurred 
every hour in the commonplace relationships of daily life, but these 
people had not noticed them. They had been "busy." Jesus Christ, 
who is steadily present exercising sympathetic good-will in every case 
of human need, great or small, had looked in vain for them to join 
Him. They had not seen Him. 



166 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XX— CI)e last Wztk in Jerusalem (Continued) 

Third Day: An Incident at a Bethany Dinner-Party Determines 
One of the Inner Circle to Put Jesus into the Power of the 
Rabbis. Mark 14:1-11; Matt. 26:1-16; Luke 22:1-6 

Two days before the great day of Passover week the rabbis had 
still been unable to lead Jesus into any statement or action that would 
be generally recognized as a reason for summary legal procedure against 
Him. They would have liked to put Him to death during the Pass- 
over week when multitudes of Jews from all quarters of the Jewish world 
would be present to see the victory of the rabbis over their great critic. 
Without some specially flagrant offense on His part which would be 
generally recognized as such, they did not dare to proceed regularly 
and openly against Him. For, offensive as His record was to those 
who held the Beelzebub hypothesis regarding Him, it was one in 
which His friends gloried as evidence of God's power, and many in 
the city were His friends. The rabbis had about made up their 
minds that they must postpone action against Him until after Pass- 
over week, when from an entirely unexpected quarter there came a 
suggestion which made it seem possible after all to get Him secretly 
into their possession long enough to go through the regular process 
of a trial and execution before His friends should find out what was 
going on. They felt sure that if they could once execute Him, the 
simple fact that He had been unable to save Himself would prove, 
even to His most enthusiastic friends, that He was not the Messiah, 
and there would therefore be nothing to fear from them. 

Read Mark 14: 1-11, noticing that v. 10 continues v. 2. The in- 
tervening verses seem to be parenthetical. Note the two classes of 
men in v. I. Read also Luke 22: 1-6 and Matt. 26: 14-16. Accord- 
ing to John 12: 1 this dinner-party occurred four days earlier than 
the time mentioned here in Mark 14:1. If we follow John's chronol- 
ogy, the incident is inserted out of its chronological order by Mark. 
Perhaps Mark saw in the incident something that explains Judas' 
conduct. Do you see any connection between the dinner-party 
and Judas' conduct ? Why did Judas turn against Jesus ? 

Personal Thought : Great crimes may be committed in very casual 
ways. The commonplace relationships of daily life constitute op- 
portunity for great crimes as well as for deeds of great good-will, and 
the opportunity is so favorable that the crime does not seem great at 
the moment. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 167 



Study XX.— C&e last Wttk in Jerusalem (Continued) 

Fourth Day: An Incident at a Bethany Dinner-Party Determines 
One of the Inner Circle to Put Jesus into the Power of the 
Rabbis (concluded). Mark 14:1-11; Matt. 26:1-16; Luke 22: 
1-6 

It remains to look more closely at the dinner-party episode. It 
is only from John's Gospel that we learn who the woman was. Giving 
attention now to Mark's presentation, the main questions that arise 
are these: Did the woman realize that Jesus was soon to die, and did 
she therefore intentionally introduce a premature funeral ceremony 
at the dinner-party ? If not, what was her idea ? Why did the dis- 
ciples object ? Why was their objection not valid ? 

At the dinner-party Jesus is in the midst of those who believe Him 
to be the Messiah and who do not expect Him to die. To the woman's 
mind this was possibly something more than honor shown to a dis- 
tinguished guest for the atmosphere is charged with Messianic ex- 
pectation. It may have been a private anointing of Jesus for Messiah- 
ship, affectionately suggestive of the public Messianic recognition 
which she believes He will soon receive. But death is now so real 
to Jesus, and the grave so near, that this act seems to Him the 
beginning of the burial. The scene is a most dramatic exhibition 
of the contrast between Jesus' view of the future and that of His 
disciples, a contrast that has been several times made evident by 
Mark since 8:31 ff. 

It would be interesting to trace the psychological history of Judas 
if we had sufficient data. Probably Jesus had Judas especially in 
mind on the occasions when He expressed solicitude for the Twelve. 
Read again Mark 8:15; 9:33-34, 43-50. Insincerity, ambition, 
jealousy were developing in him. At the dinner-party Jesus appears 
to Judas as a sad sentimentalist unable to talk about anything but 
dying, and encouraging extravagant attention from women. He 
lacks the sagacity and strength requisite for the administration of a 
great state. He lets the crowds go unorganized. He will never be 
able to give the things for which Judas cares most. Caiaphas, An- 
nas, and the rabbis are practical enough to know how to win! 

Personal Thought: "She hath done what she could." The medi- 
ocre man that does his utmost will live in the appreciative thought 
of God and man, and will be an inspiration to those he may not dream 
of influencing. 



1 68 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XX— Cfje last Wttk in Sferttealem (Continued) 

Fifth Day: At the Passover Supper Jesus Speaks of Treachery, 
and with Impressive Symbolism Suggests the Significance of 
His Death. Mark 14:12-26; Matt. 26:17-30; Luke 22:7-38 

1. On the origin of the Passover read Ex. 12: 1-28. Read Mark 
14: 12-16, which describes the preparations made for eating the Pass- 
over Supper. A room had to be secured in the city; a lamb had to 
be killed and prepared at the temple between three and five o'clock 
in the afternoon; wine, herbs and unleavened cakes were to be 
bought; and a compound of fruit and vinegar had to be prepared in 
which the unleavened cakes could be dipped. Notice the strange 
way in which Jesus proceeded to secure the room (vv. 12-15). Ten 
of the Twelve probably did not know where they were to meet until 
they were conducted to the place in the evening. Do you see any 
reason for such secrecy ? Notice in Luke 22 : 8 that two of His most 
trusty disciples were sent on this errand. Does Luke 22: 11-12 in- 
dicate that the man in whose house they were to meet was acquainted 
with Jesus ? Read the far less vivid account in Matt. 26: 17-19. 

2. The state of apprehension in which Jesus had been all day be- 
came evident in the remarks which he made soon after the Passover 
meal began. Read Mark 14:18-21 and Luke 22:15. The fla- 
grant character of the act is expressed in v. 18 : the traitor is one of the 
Twelve, and one who eats with Jesus in the sacred relation of table 
companionship. Does the language in Mark tell who the treacherous 
apostle is ? If two persons used one bowl in which to dip the pieces of 
unleavened bread, then the statement in v. 20 would have constituted 
a declaration. Or if three or four used the same bowl, the number of 
those suspected would be comparatively reduced. The conversation 
probably lasted at least some minutes, and various things were said 
by different persons. In the confusion, not everything that Jesus 
said to each would be heard by all. Read Matt. 26 : 21-25. Cf. 
Luke 22:21-23. The account in John's Gospel, 13:21-30, which 
is much more graphic, will be studied later. Was it too late for Judas 
to repent ? That is, did Jesus make any appeal to Judas here ? 

Personal Thought : Jesus had chosen Judas of Kerioth because 
He saw in him real capacity for usefulness. The note of grieved 
friendship so distinctly heard here shows that Jesus had also loved 
him. This painful experience was a part of Jesus' suffering. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 169 



Study XX— 2H)e last Wtck in ^entsalem (Continued) 

SlXTH Day : At the Passover Supper Jesus Speaks of Treachery, 
and with Impressive Symbolism Suggests the Significance of 
His Death (concluded). Mark 14: 12-26 ; Matt. 26 : 17-30 ; Luke 
22:7-38 

1. At some time during the supper Jesus took unleavened cakes, 
blessed them impressively, and told His disciples to eat the pieces. 
Read Mark 14:22. What did Jesus mean by calling the pieces His 
"body" ? Remember that the fragments of the "body" of the Pass- 
over lamb were still upon the table. Remember what the significance 
of this " body " was to those who escaped from Egypt (Ex. 12). Read 
Matt. 26 : 26. Note the three points of difference in Luke 22 : 19. 

2. Read Mark 14:23-24. "Covenants," or contracts, were made 
binding by the putting of blood upon the contracting parties. Read 
Ex. 24 : 4-8 This transaction in Exodus was regarded as the old 
covenant. A new covenant is spoken of in Jer. 31 : 31-34. Read the 
passage and compare Heb. 8:6-13. Jesus says, then, that in some 
sense His death serves to bring God and man together in a close 
and lasting relationship. Note the additional idea in Matt. 26:27- 
28. Compare Luke 22 : 20. The great question here is this : What 
bearing has the dying of Jesus upon the relationship between God 
and man ? Or how are men better off" because of the dying of Jesus ? 
This question is discussed in the "Teaching of Jesus and His Apos- 
tles"; it is enough here to bring out the historic occasion. Read Mark 
14:25 and Matt. 26:29. Jesus pledges Himself not to drink wine 
again until the Messianic banquet at which they will be present. The 
wine is called "new" because all things are new in the Messianic 
Kingdom. (Cf. Rev. 21 : 1). How long a time did this probably 
seem to them likely to be ? Was it probable that they thought at the 
time that a new ordinance was being established ? If so, when would 
they naturally have observed it next ? Before the Passover of the 
next year ? 

Where did the disciples probably suppose that they were going 
(v. 26) ? Read Luke 22 : 15-18, 24-30, which are peculiar. 

Personal Thought : "He took a cup and gave thanks." He was 
able to give thanks over the emblem of His own suffering because He 
knew that His suffering would be productive of good to "many," and 
it may be because He had some deep sense of fellowship with the suf- 
fering heart of God. 



170 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XX.— C&e last Wtt\ in ^Jerusalem {Continued) 

Seventh Day: Jesus Goes to Gethsemane. Mark 14:27-42; 
Matt. 26 : 31-46; Luke 22 : 31-46 

1. After chanting some of the Psalms with which the Passover 
Supper usually ended, they passed out into the night (Mark 14:26), 
It was probably a little before midnight. Here and there were groups 
of people who had finished the Paschal Supper and were now going to 
their lodgings. On the way occurred the strange conversation found 
in Mark 14:27-31. Read it. The foreboding of evil that had op- 
pressed Jesus at the supper seems not to have left Him. What 
was Jesus' purpose in saying what He did in v. 28 ? V. 30 con- 
tains the most vivid statement of the nearness of the catastrophe 
that has yet been made. The dreaded event, whatever it may turn 
out to be, is finally at hand ! What was Jesus' chief concern in these 
last moments of suspense ? Read the parallel matter preserved by 
Luke in 22:31-38. Notice that Luke apologetically explains the 
astonishing lapse of Peter's loyalty which will soon be recorded 
(v. 31), and speaks appreciatively of his future relation to the other 
disciples (v. 32). He also emphasizes, as usual, Jesus' praying (v. 32). 
V. 36 is a figurative way of saying that danger is near. Two persons 
of the company, one of them Peter (John 18:10), and the other 
perhaps Simon, the revolutionary Zealot, exhibited daggers that they 
had concealed in their cloaks. Jesus could not take time to argue 
with them concerning His real meaning (v. 38). 

2. They came soon to a garden, which was a favorite resting-place 
of Jesus and His friends on their way back and forth between Jerusa- 
lem and Bethany (John 18: 1-2). It was called the "Garden of the 
Oil Press," and was probably an olive orchard. At the entrance He 
left eight of the Twelve and took the three upon whom He had been 
accustomed to place most dependence on with Him. In preparation 
for the next study read Mark 14: 32-42 and Luke 22: 39-46. 

Personal Thought: "I made supplication for thee" (Luke 22:32). 
The memory of these words in after years must have been a grateful 
one to Peter. He was apt to go headlong in whatever direction he 
started. He was walking on the edge of a moral precipice that dark 
night and began to slip down into its abysmal depths, but he did not 
fall. Look back over your life to some of the times when you have 
been kept from permanent lapse of faith. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 171 



Study XXL— C&e last Wttk in % erttealem (Continued) 

First Day: Jesus Prays in Gethsemane. Mark 14 132-42 ; Matt. 
26 : 36-46 ; Luke 22 : 39-46 

1. Read again Mark 14:32-42. Why did Jesus leave the eight 
at the entrance to the garden (v. 32) ? Why did He take the three 
with Him (v. 33) ? For whom or for what were they to watch (v. 34) ? 
They noticed from His appearance that He was passing through some 
experience of great dread and sorrow which He described to them 
as like death (vv. 33-34). If we could tell what occasioned this op- 
pressive terror and sorrow of which Jesus spoke we should know the 
secret of this sacred experience. Answer as best you can the question : 
What was the cause of this powerful emotion ? A question closely 
related to it is this : What did He pray to be spared if possible? That 
is, what were the "hour" and the "cup" ? 

As the three waited, they saw by the light of the Passover moon 
that Jesus repeatedly fell on the ground, and in the silence of the 
midnight hour they heard the words of His prayer (v. 36). Then 
they began to nod drowsily and were soon asleep. Why did Jesus 
address His reproach to Peter (v. 37)? Remember vv. 29-31. No- 
tice His keen solicitude for His disciples in this hour of His own dis- 
tress (v. 38). They ought to be preparing for the trial that is just 
before them, for although the spiritual part of the man is "willing," 
as Peter's recent protestations of loyalty show, the selfish lower nature, 
the "flesh," is weak in the presence of temptation. After the third 
period of prayer Jesus told them to sleep on; their obligation was dis- 
charged. The crisis had come and the time for preparation was over. 
The flaming torches of the approaching party could already be seen 
in the distance. Notice in vv. 41-42 how prominent in His mind was 
the thought of the treachery of the man He loved. 

2. Read Luke 22 : 39-46, which has, as usual, peculiar matter. 
When He returned to the group of three the sweat was rolling from 
His face in great drops like the fast dropping of blood almost in clots 
from an open wound. What Lukan peculiarities appear in this 
account ? The fact that the angel is said to have appeared "to Him" 
shows that the others did not see it. Jesus must have told them of it. 

Personal Thought: "Pray that ye enter not into temptation." 
Prayer beforehand guards the soul against entering into temptation. 
It prevents temptation securing that initial hold upon one which is so 
likely to result in defeat. 



172 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXL— STIje Last Wttk in $cvuwUm (Continued) 

SECOND Day: Jesus is Arrested. Mark 14 143-52 ; Matt. 26 : 47- 
56 ; Luke 22 : 47-53 

According to John's Gospel (13:30), Judas left the room where 
the supper was being eaten before the rest did. He probably hurried 
away to the priests, and conducted a party back to the place where 
he had just left Jesus. The place had been selected with such pre- 
caution (Mark 14: 12-26) that he had not been able earlier to tell 
the priests where they could find Jesus. When the party arrived they 
found that Jesus had already gone. By inquiring from the servants 
about the house, or perhaps solely through Judas' surmise (John 
18:2), they hurried on to Gethsemane. There they found Jesus and 
the disciples just at the end of Jesus' period of prayer. 

The different accounts mention as members of the arresting party 
a somewhat miscellaneous company sent out by the Sanhedrin, among 
whom were priests, members of the temple police force, and Roman 
soldiers with their commanding officer. Let your imagination produce 
for you the scene in the garden — the moonlight, the flaring torches, 
the tensely eager forms moving about among the lights and shadows 
under the trees. Read Mark 14:43-52. Notice the way in which 
Judas is described. Why did Judas caution them to lead Jesus away 
"securely" (v. 44)? Did he fear resistance? Note the marginal 
reading "kissed much," or repeatedly. Jesus specially protested 
against their coming armed with clubs and daggers as though He were 
a desperate character (v. 48). Why did they come so armed ? Why 
did the disciples abandon Him ? That is, what explanation would 
they have given if questioned a few moments later ? 

It is sometimes surmised that the young man mentioned in vv. 51- 
52, was the son of the householder in whose house Jesus had eaten 
the Passover Supper, and that after the arresting party had appeared 
at the house he had hurried on to warn Jesus. It is also sometimes 
further surmised that he was Mark. 

What new matter in Matt. 26 : 47-56 ? And in Luke 22 : 47-53 ? 
Note Luke's omission of the cowardly conduct of the disciples. 

Personal Thought: Jesus' self-restraint in prayer (Matt. 26:53) 
is noticeable. He could have had twelve legions of angels in place 
of the twelve cowardly apostles, if He had prayed for them. Before 
we can be largely trusted with prayer-power we must learn when not 
to use it, as well as when to use it. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 173 



Study XXL— ®&e last Wttk in Jerusalem (Continued) 

Third Day: Jesus is Tried and Condemned to Death by the 
Sanhedrin. Mark 14 : 53-65 ; Matt. 26 : 57-68 ; Luke 22 : 54, 
63-71 

1. It was evidently the purpose of the Sanhedrin to arrest Jesus 
at a time when His followers were scattered all over the city eating 
the Passover Supper, and then to hasten through the trial and exe- 
cution before any report of what was going on could be circulated 
through the city. They hurry Him from the garden to the High 
Priest's residence, where members of the Sanhedrin, previously 
warned, assemble quickly, ready to begin proceedings immediately. 
The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish court. Arrayed against Jesus 
on this awful night were the ecclesiastical hate, the religious bigotry, 
the political unscrupulousness of one of the most intense races of 
the world. The president of the Sanhedrin at this time was the high 
priest, Joseph Caiaphas, son-in-law of the old head of the high priestly 
family, Annas, himself an ex-high priest and still the most influential 
member of the family. Read Mark 14: 53-64. 

There were three stages in the trial. The first is described in vv. 
55-59. What was the charge made against Jesus in this stage of the 
trial ? Was there any ground for it ? Had what was said in chapter 
13 leaked out through Judas? Cf. also John 2: 18-19. They were 
not able to secure evidence that Jesus had claimed to be the Messiah, 
for this could have been secured only in the inner circle of His follow- 
ers where they could not easily get witnesses. Judas had perhaps 
told them what he had heard Jesus say about His Messiahship, but 
more than one witness was necessary for conviction. They could 
not search for witnesses beforehand in the inner circle without 
betraying their purpose to arrest Jesus, which they wished to conceal. 
It may be, too, that they preferred, if possible, to convict Him on 
some less dignified and more popularly offensive charge than that of 
being a Messianic aspirant. A Messianic aspirant who proposed 
to burn the temple would be recognized as a monstrosity even by 
those who had been His most ardent supporters. 

The second stage of the trial is described in vv. 6o-6ia. The high 
priest feels that valuable time is being wasted. What takes place, 
therefore, in this stage ? The prosecution seems likely to break down 
entirely and not to be able to do anything with Jesus after having 
proceeded so far successfully. 



174 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



The third stage is described in 6lb-64. The thought that has been 
uppermost in all their minds, though they have not mentioned it, is 
now expressed. What is the mode of procedure in this stage ? What 
does Jesus mean by the admission in v. 62 ? The violent bitterness 
which had developed during the last few months is seen in the fact 
that even these dignified members of the court spit upon Jesus, and 
the sherifFs attack Him with personal violence (v. 65). 

2. Read carefully the account in Matt. 26 : 57-68. Read Luke 
22: 54-71, noticing that Luke transfers the trial to the early hours of 
the morning after the personal abuse to which Jesus was subjected 
(vv. 63-65). Mark and Matthew hint that there was a more formal 
session after daylight (Mark 15 : 1; Matt. 27 : 1). Very likely in 
this second session there was a brief, formal ratification of what had 
been informally done in the night. Perhaps some rule of the court 
required that such sentences be passed in the daytime. 

If we suppose that the statements made in the Talmud regarding 
the proper procedure of the Sanhedrin were not ideal, but were 
actually followed in the time of Jesus, certain serious irregularities 
occurred in this trial. See Edersheim, Life of Jesus the Messiah, 
Vol. II, page 556. 

Personal Thought : Jesus said: "Ye shall see the Son of Man sit- 
ting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven." 
It seemed an absurd thing for a man to say who had been abandoned 
by His most trusted friends, and now stood apparently absolutely 
without resources before an irresistible and unscrupulous court. They 
were judging Him; but Jesus assured them that He would judge them 
in God's great day. They could even spit on Him and slap Him, 
but when they had exhausted these and other expressions of their 
spite, He could rise high above every abuse and judge them by the 
simple, majestic power of His personality. On the small scale of our 
lives it is also true that if a man simply succeeds in being what he 
ought to be, he will surely overcome, and judge every malicious attack, 
no matter how overpowering it may seem at the time. The problem 
is simply to be steadily and quietly, by the grace of God, what one 
ought to be. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 175 



Study XXL— W$z last Wtt\ in ^entsalem {Continued) 

Fourth Day: The Leading Man of the Inner Circle Denies all 
Connection with Jesus. Mark 14 : 54, 66-72 ; Matt. 26 : 58, 69- 
75 ; Luke 22 : 55-62 

Peter had not run far into the shadows before, finding that he was 
not pursued, he began to reflect upon the scandal of abandoning Jesus 
after having made such violent protestations of fearless loyalty (cf. 
Mark 14: 27-31). It would be interesting to know how Peter's mind 
worked each quarter hour during the time between midnight and 
morning. We know that he plucked up courage to follow into the 
open court of the high priest's residence, in one of the rooms opening 
upon which Jesus was being tried. In this open court he joined a 
group of sheriff's and servants that were warming themselves in the 
chill air of the early morning about the brazier. The paved open 
court was a few steps lower than the room opening upon it (v. 66). 
Why did Peter go to the high priest's residence ? Notice the three 
hearings that Peter had — for a man was being tried in the open court 
that night as well as in the Sanhedrin. Read Mark 14:54, 66-72. 

When had the servant girl probably seen Peter with Jesus (v. 67) ? 
This question frightened Peter, and he slipped away into the dark 
passage leading from the open court to the street (v. 68). V. 69 reads 
as though it was the same maid that again noticed Peter. He had 
drifted back again to the fire in the center of the court, and was 
talking with some of the group, when his queer Galilean brogue was 
noticed (v. 70). What was Peter afraid of? The extreme agitation 
under which Peter was laboring is evident from v. 72. 

Read Matt. 26 : 58, 69-75, looking for new details. Read also 
Luke 22 : 55-62. The room where Jesus was being tried seems to 
have commanded a view of the open court so that Jesus could see 
Peter (v. 61). John 18:15-18,25-27 adds some interesting details. 
The fact that probably a good many noticed Peter and spoke of him 
would account for the different representations in these narratives. 

Personal Thought: "The Lord turned and looked upon Peter" 
(Luke 22:61). One's situation is similar to that of Peter when to 
admit that he is a Christian contrasts him unpleasantly with those who 
are not. That which keeps a person true in such a situation is to 
realize how Jesus feels about disloyalty. When you find yourself 
tempted to conceal or obscure the fact that you are a Christian, 
imagine Jesus visibly present and looking you in the eye. 



176 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXI.— C&e Last Wttk in 3farttsalem (Continued) 

Fifth Day: The Roman Procurator Ratines the Death Sentence. 
Mark 15 : 1-15 ; Matt. 27 : 1-26 ; Luke 23 : 1-25 

The death sentence voted by the Sanhedrin could not be executed 
until confirmed by the Roman procurator. As soon as it was early 
morning, the sheriffs and leading priests of the Sanhedrin took Jesus 
to the procurator's residence. The procurator at this time was Pon- 
tius Pilate, who held office a.d. 26-36. He appears in other notices 
of him to have been harsh and arbitrary, but he had a restless, pas- 
sionate people to deal with. His personal character will become more 
evident in Part II. 

The procurator either regularly held early office hours, or came 
early to his office by special appointment with the priests and rabbis 
on this eventful morning. Mark's account of what took place is brief, 
but vivid. Two entirely distinct companies met before the procu- 
rator's residence that morning. One of them had Jesus in charge, 
and the other came up from the city to make the annual petition for 
the release of some prisoner. Pilate hoped for a time that this chance 
meeting of the two companies might prove a happy way out of the 
situation. Read Mark 15:1-15. Can you tell from this narrative 
whether Pilate had previously known about Jesus ? The phrase 
"King of the Jews" emphasizes the political side of Messiahship, 
and was therefore likely to be more effective with the procurator 
than the phrase "Son of God," the religiously suggestive phrase used 
in the trial before the Sanhedrin. In what spirit does Pilate make 
the remark in v. 2 ? Cf. Luke 23: I, 5 in order to see what some of 
the "many things" mentioned in v. 3 were. What occasion had 
the priests for "envy" (v. 10) ? So far as you can judge from Mark's 
account, what would Pilate probably have answered if some of his 
Roman friends had asked him later in the day what he thought of 
Jesus ? What would he have said if they had asked him why he 
ratified the Sanhedrin's sentence ? The relation of Pilate to Jesus is 
far more distinctly brought out in John's Gospel and will be more 
carefully studied in Part II. 

Personal Thought : The personality of Jesus is one that compels 
moral issues. No one was ever long in His presence without finding 
himself obliged to take a definite position. He was so pronounced a 
character that even when He said almost nothing people were fairly 
compelled to be either for or against Him. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 177 



Study XXL— C&e ILafit Wttk in Scrttsalem (Continued) 

SlXTH Day: The Roman Procurator Ratines the Death Sentence 
(concluded). Mark 15 : 1-20 ; Matt. 27 : 1-31 ; Luke 23 : 1-25 

1. Read Matthew's account of the examination before the procura- 
tor, 27:2, 1 1-26, and note the two new features in vv. 19, 24-26. It 
is like Matthew to bring to light a contrast that shows clearly the bitter, 
implacable hate of the priests and rabbis. The message which came 
to the procurator from his wife shows that at least the procurator's 
wife, and probably the procurator himself, had known something 
about Jesus before. Perhaps His fame during the last few months 
had attracted the procurator's attention ; perhaps the priests had 
recently tried to prejudice him against Jesus. 

2. Read Luke 23 : 1-25, noticing its emphasis on the Galilean aspects 
of the case. Review the notices of Herod found in Mark 6: 14-29; 
Luke 13:31-36. Describe in a sentence or two what Herod would 
probably have said in inviting a friend to be present at the hearing 
which he was about to give Jesus. What would he have said to such 
a friend after the hearing ? Why did Jesus remain silent ? Herod was 
pleased by Pilate's recognition of his rights. The joke that Herod 
made of the case (v. 11) served to put the men in a good humor and 
end some petty quarrel (v. 12). 

3. Finally Pilate ratified the Sanhedrin's sentence, and gave Jesus 
to the soldiers for the horrible scourging on the bare back that pre- 
ceded execution. While preparations were being made for the exe- 
cution, Jesus was left to be the victim of the brutal horseplay of the 
soldiers in the barracks. It was a huge joke to sport with a "king," 
and it called together the entire cohort. An old cloak whose color 
suggested the royal purple, and which had been cast ofF by some 
of the officers, was thrown over Jesus' shoulders ; a rude wreath of 
thorn twigs served for a crown ; a reed served as a royal sceptre, and 
then the fun went furiously on. Read Mark 15: 16-20 and Matt. 
27:27-31. 

Personal Thought : All unprejudiced persons with whom Jesus 
came in contact recognized His innocence. The only charge that 
His enemies could finally prove against Him was that He claimed 
to be the Messianic Son of God. On that charge Jesus still stands 
at the bar of the world's judgment. He has elected to let this question 
stand for everyone to answer: Is this the Messianic Son of God ? 



178 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXL— CI)e last Wtt\ in ^entealem (Continued) 
Seventh Day: The Fate of the Betrayer. Matt. 27:3-10 

During that historic night a tragedy was being enacted in another 
man's heart. It does not appear whether Judas was present at the 
trial before the Sanhedrin, ready to be witness as well as betrayer, or 
not, but from some point he watched the proceedings, and when he 
saw that Jesus was sentenced, the blackness of his act appalled him. 
Read Matt. 27: 1-10. Does Judas appear to have thought that his 
confession would in any way serve to secure a reversal of the sentence ? 
It may be worth while to spend a moment inquiring why Judas 
regretted his action. How had his view of Jesus changed since three 
or four days before when he had offered to betray Him ? Did the 
sentence which Luke, with his special sensitiveness to the pathetic, 
records in 22 : 48 ring in the ears of Judas ? Had there been anything 
in Jesus' treatment of Judas that night, or in Jesus' conduct in general, 
that made Judas regret his action ? Judas had probably been paid 
off as soon as Jesus was arrested, but the coins hurt his hands, and 
apparently he desperately broke into the priest's court, where he had 
no right to be, and threw them on the pavement for the priests to pick 
up. This incident is congenial to Matthew because it brings out 
in a strong light the hard, bitter spirit of the priests and rabbis. Note 
also the characteristic peculiarity in vv. 9-10. This quotation is not 
found in Jeremiah, but in Zechariah 1 1 : 13, and its ascription here 
to Jeremiah has occasioned much discussion. 

Read another account of this incident in Acts 1 : 18-19. So far as 
the manner of death is concerned, it is often said that Judas may have 
hung himself and by the breaking of the rope have experienced what 
is described in Acts. The language in Acts indicates that he was a 
heavy man. The field might have been called "Blood-Field" for 
more than one reason. 

Personal Thought : Judas had probably had a line of reasoning by 
which he justified himself for earning money by being disloyal to 
Jesus. But the quiet, unswerving honesty and good-will of Jesus 
during the hours of that night were like the white light of the judg- 
ment falling upon his black deed and exposing it in all its hideousness. 
Any professing Christian who earns money in a way that involves 
disloyalty to Jesus Christ will one day see that his deed is also a black 
one, though he may speciously justify it now. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 179 



Study XXII.— C&c last Witk in Jerusalem {Continued) 

FlRST Day : Jesus is Executed. Mark 15 : 21-41 ; Matt. 27 : 32-56 ; 
Luke 23 : 26-49 

Preparations were quickly made for the execution. A small pro- 
cession, the central figures in which were Jesus and two brigands 
who happened to be ready for execution that morning, started from 
the barracks for the usual place of execution outside the city. A 
captain and four soldiers were appointed to execute the criminals. 
Mark 8 : 34 reads as though the criminals usually carried their own 
crosses to the place of execution. According to John 19: 17, Jesus 
started with His cross, but according to the Synoptic Gospels, He did 
not carry it all the way. Just outside the city His strength gave 
way. Consider what Jesus had endured, not only of physical suffering, 
but also of mental strain in Gethsemane and later, within the last 
twelve hours. An able-bodied man from North Africa, either a Pass- 
over pilgrim lodging outside the city, or a permanent resident of Jeru- 
salem originally from North Africa, was impressed into the service. 
He naturally became a famous man among the early Nazarenes be- 
cause of this circumstance, and two of his sons were evidently well 
known in the circle for which Mark's Gospel was written. If this 
circle was connected with Rome, as tradition represents, there is pos- 
sibly some significance in Rom. 16:13. Read Luke 23:26-31 and 
note two characteristics of Luke. 

On a skull-shaped mound the procession stopped, and drugged 
wine, provided according to tradition by a society of benevolent Jeru- 
salem ladies, was offered to the prisoners to stupefy them. Then, 
at about nine o'clock the horrible execution began. The cross seems 
usually to have been laid on the ground while the prisoner, strug- 
gling and cursing, was nailed to it. Then the cross was set up in a 
hole in the ground. The victim's clothes belonged to the soldiers 
who performed the execution. Over the head of the condemned 
man was placarded the crime for which he was suffering. Read 
carefully Mark 15 : 21-26 and Matt. 27 : 33-38. Why did Jesus refuse 
the myrrhed wine ? Read also Luke 23 : 33-34. 

Personal Thought : The moments of a man's greatest influence are 
apt to be the moments when, in spite of great provocation, he is seen 
to retain his self-control, or when in great sorrow he is seen to retain 
his faith — the moments when he resists great temptation. Think 
of your temptation as your great opportunity. 



8o Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXII.— CI)e last Wtt\ in ^USalem {Continued) 

Second Day : Jesus is Executed (continued). Mark 15 : 21-41 ; 
Matt. 27 : 32-56 ; Luke 23 : 26-49 

What hint is there in Mark 15: 29 as to the publicity of the exe- 
cution ? Read vv. 29-32 and note the four classes of persons who 
jeered at Jesus on the cross. How came those who were passing 
by to think that Jesus had wished to destroy the temple, since this 
was not the crime described on the tablet above His head ? (Cf. 
14 : 56-58). It is easy to see how such a report would enrage the peo- 
ple. Imagine the priests and rabbis walking about the cross, gloat- 
ing over the success that they have so long planned. "He proposed 
to bring Messianic salvation to the nation, but He cannot even save 
Himself!" (v. 31). Read also Matt. 27:39-44 and Luke 23:35-38. 
Read Luke 23 : 39-43, in which is preserved a most interesting cir- 
cumstance. The two brigands talk like Jews rather than foreigners. 
As the day wore on it became evident that the two brigands were 
really men of very different character. The question to answer is: 
What did the better man of the two think of Jesus ? He cannot 
have believed Him to be the Messiah, for even the apostles abandoned 
the theory of His Messiahship and His Kingdom as soon as they saw 
Him crucified. He had probably been profoundly impressed by 
Jesus' behavior. He had seen Jesus pray for the soldiers as they 
fastened Him to the cross. He had noted that Jesus did not shout 
down angry curses at the priests and rabbis jeering about His cross. 
The soul of the brigand was touched, and he began to feel good- 
will toward his strange neighbor on the cross. Jesus probably 
seemed to him a good man of ill-balanced mind, who was possessed 
by the delusion that He was the Messiah. Therefore, with a kind 
of grim, but thoroughly kindly, humor, he turned his head toward 
Jesus and said: "When you get your kingdom remember me!" 
Jesus, who saw in this expression of good-will the essential, though 
feeble, beginnings of real faith, assured him that they would be to- 
gether in Paradise, the blessed part of Hades, before the day closed. 

Personal Thought : "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw 
all men unto myself" (John 12:32). This drawing power began 
to manifest its influence in its effect upon Jesus' neighbor on the 
cross. Jesus reached out eagerly in spirit, as He could not in body, 
to grasp this first-fruits of His sacrifice. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 181 



Study XXII.— €\)t last Wttk in ^crttfialem (Continued) 

Third Day; Jesus is Executed (continued). Mark 15 : 21-41; 
Matt. 27 : 32-56 ; Luke 23 : 26-49 

From noon until three o'clock a cloud settled over the country, pro- 
ducing an awe-inspiring darkness that seemed all the more impres- 
sive afterwards when the true character of the figure on the central 
cross was realized. At three o'clock Jesus uttered the first words of 
Psalm 22, a Psalm the whole of which had probably been in His mind 
for months and which had been freshly suggested to Him by the jeers 
of the rabbis (Matt. 27 : 43 ; Ps. 22 : 7-8). There may be in these 
words some deep theological meaning, or it may be that they simply 
indicate that the picture painted by the entire Psalm was in Jesus' 
mind. Read the entire Psalm, and then read Mark^: 33-41. 

When some men standing near the cross heard Jesus cry " Eloi, Eloi" 
they understood Him to call for Elijah. This misunderstanding 
seems to indicate that they were Greek-speaking Jews, of whom 
there were always many in Jerusalem, and especially large numbers 
at the Passover seasons. One of them, asking permission of the sol- 
diers in charge, dipped a sponge in a pot of sour wine belonging to 
the soldiers, fastened it to a reed, and put it to the lips of Jesus. His 
purpose seemed to be to strengthen Jesus for further petition to Eli- 
jah. Jesus then uttered a great cry of agony, and suddenly died. 

It was afterward learned, perhaps through some of the converted 
priests (Acts 6 : 7), that a marvelous phenomenon occurred in the 
temple that afternoon. The heavy curtain between the inner and 
outer rooms fell apart, the rent beginning at the top. 

The captain in charge of the execution (v. 39) caught up the 
phrase, " Son of God," from the priests and rabbis about the cross, 
but interpreted it in the Roman sense of a demigod. 

The women were standing afar off, out of reach of the insults of 
the soldiers, and at a modest distance from the naked bodies of the 
victims. 

Personal Thought: "If thou art the Son of God, come down from 
the cross" (Matt. 27 : 40). Two conceptions of power stand out here. 
The one, represented by the priests and rabbis, calls upon the pos- 
sessor of power to avoid suffering for others ; the other, represented 
by Jesus, calls upon him to show his right to power by using it for 
others. The first conception is apparently triumphant in the foreground 
here, but the latter is steadily driving it into the background. 



1 82 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXII —C&e last Wttt in Jerusalem (Continued) 

Fourth Day: Jesus is Executed (concluded). Mark 15:21-41; 
Matt. 27 : 32-56 ; Luke 23 : 26-49 

1. Read Matt. 27:45-56, looking carefully for any circumstances 
not mentioned in Mark. The word "Eli" (v. 46) is Hebrew, while 
"Eloi" in Mark 15:34 is Aramaic, the Hebrew dialect spoken in 
Jesus' time. What is your opinion regarding the significance of the 
words in v. 46 ? What is it for God to "forsake" a man ? Did Jesus 
feel that God was displeased with Him ? 

The action of the man who proposed to give Jesus the sponge of 
sour wine may have been regarded by different persons about the cross 
in the two ways described in Matthew and Mark. 

2. Read Luke 23 : 44-49. The crucifying of so gracious and glorious 
a person as Luke has pictured Jesus to be seemed especially horrible 
to the devoutly aesthetic spirit of Luke. This is evident in vv. 27 
and 48, both of which are peculiar to Luke. 

Personal Thought: "All His acquaintance, and the women that 
followed with Him from Galilee, stood afar off seeing these things" 
(Luke 23 : 49). Jesus was alone at the center of suffering and all His 
friends could only stand dumbly watching on its far circumference. 
We feel to-day that we cannot yet penetrate to the real cause of 
Jesus' suffering. Evidently what killed Him was not the wounds in 
His hands and feet, which would not be fatal. The crucified were 
said often to have lived for days and finally to have died of starvation. 
Jesus died in a few hours. The intense mental distress beginning 
in the garden of Gethsemane, and reaching its climax in the great cry 
of agony at the last moment, seems to have been the real cause of His 
death. It is the source and character of this intense mental distress 
that constitutes the mystery of this great event. The two character- 
istics of Jesus that have come out most clearly in the Gospel narrative 
have been His passionate interest in men, and His sense of being the 
only one who could show men how the invisible Father feels (Matt. 
11:27). This deadly agony, then, it would seem must have been 
caused in some way by the sin of the men He loved, and must be viewed 
as a revelation of what goes on in the unseen heart of the Heavenly 
Father. How this unveiling of the eternal heart of God in the his- 
torical phenomenon of the death of Jesus is related to the saving of 
rnen is the problem that human thought is not yet able fully to solve. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 18; 



Study XXII.— €&e Last Wttk in ^erttsaltm (Continued) 
Fifth Day: The Seven Words on the Cross. 

The cross of Jesus has become so significant in the religious thought 
of the world that it may be well to listen for a moment to the words 
spoken by Jesus in His agony on the cross. They are the so-called 
"Seven Words." 

"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 

"To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23: 43). 

"Woman, behold thy son!" "Behold thy mother!" (John 19:26-27). 

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15: 34). 

"I thirst" (John 19: 28). 

"It is finished" (John 19:30). 

"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23: 46). 

Answer carefully these questions : If you had only these words to 
judge by, what kind of person would you conceive Jesus to be ? What 
could a person learn about God in these seven words ? What do they 
show regarding Jesus' relation to God ? How do they represent Jesus 
to have felt about men ? 

Personal Thought : In the midst of His physical pain and mental 
distress Jesus seemed to be chiefly thoughtful of others : the soldiers 
that nailed Him to the cross; the mother that He had so long sup- 
ported; the awakening heart of the brigand on the neighboring cross; 
His mission to men. This could only be because the habit of His life 
was to take account of others. 



184 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXII— Che Last Wtzk in 3fattwalem {Continued) 

Sixth Day: The Burial of Jesus. Mark 15:42-47; Matt. 27:57- 
61 ; Luke 23 : 50-56 

1. The trial and death of Jesus frightened away from Him some 
who might have been expected to stay faithfully by Him, but it brought 
others who perhaps wished to atone for their past timidity out into 
the open. Among these were two members of the Sanhedrin. Read 
Mark 15:42-47 (cf. John 19:39) with careful attention to details. 
According to Jewish usage, bodies might not remain unburied over 
the Sabbath (v. 42). Why was the councillor's visit to the procurator 
a "bold" one (v. 43)? It was an unheard of thing that a crucified 
man should die so soon, and the procurator could not believe the report 
of Jesus' death until he had interviewed the captain who superintended 
Jesus' execution (vv. 44-45). Joseph stopped in the bazaar on his 
way from the procurator's office and bought burial linen. Then with 
his own hands he took Jesus' body down from the cross and placed 
it in a burial chamber cut out of the rock, and rolled a large, solid, 
wheel-shaped stone across the low doorway (v. 46). Two women, 
weary with the day's weeping, watched the proceedings (v. 47). What 
would Joseph probably have said of Jesus if some friend had asked 
him who He was ? 

2. Read Matt. 27:57-61, and note several items of additional in- 
formation. 

3. Read Luke 23 : 50-56 very carefully, noting any peculiarities. 
Anticipating the study of Part II, read John 19: 38-42. 

4. Matthew adds a characteristic paragraph relating to the action 
of the priests and rabbis. Read Matt. 27 : 62-66. 

Personal Thought : "So they went and made the sepulchre sure, seal- 
ing the stone, the guard being with them" (Matt. 27 : 66). The victory 
of the powerful priests and rabbis seemed complete. They had held 
their popular rival up on a cross in naked shame before His frightened 
followers for six hours, and now before the sealed door of the dead man's 
tomb, the relentless hate of the Jew and the invincible power of the 
Roman were standing on guard. It would seem that the end had 
come. And yet, here are we, living nineteen hundred years after- 
ward, of another race, on another continent, calling this dead man 
Lord and trying to do His will. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 185 



Study XXII.— ^e Last Wnk in ferusalem {Continued) 

SEVENTH Day: The Arrest, Trial, and Execution of Jesus, Ac- 
cording to John's Gospel. John 18-19 

The life of Jesus according to John's Gospel will constitute the 
subject of Part II, but it may be well to read rapidly at this point chap- 
ters 18-19 while the Synoptic narrative is held freshly in mind. 

Personal Thought: 

" Were he divine, and maker of all worlds, — 
The Godhead veiled in suffering, for our sins, — - 
An unimagined splendor poured on earth 
In sacrifice supreme, — -this were a scene 
Fit for the tears of angels and all men. 
If he were man, — a passionate human heart, 
Like unto ours, but with intenser fire, 
And whiter from the deep and central glow; 
Who loved all men as never man before, 
Who felt as never mortal all the weight 
Of this world's sorrow, and whose hand 
Upstretched in prayer did seem, indeed, to clutch 
The hand divine; if he were man, yet dreamed 
That the Ineffable through him had power — 
Even through his touch — to scatter human pain 
(Setting the eternal seal on his high hope 
And promised kingdom); were he only man, 
Thus, thus to aspire, and thus at last to fall! 
Such anguish! such betrayal! Who could paint 
That tragedy ! one human, piteous cry— 
" Forsaken! " — and black death! If he were God, 
'T was for an instant only, his despair; 
Or were he man, and there is life beyond, 
And, soon or late, the good rewarded are, 
Then, too, is recompense. 

But were he man, 
And death ends all; then was that tortured death 
On Calvary a thing to make the pulse 
Of memory quail and stop." 

Richard Watson Gilder, In Palestine. 



1 86 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXIIL— C&e Kcattmctton 

First Day: The Resurrection of Jesus, According to Mark. 
Mark 16 

The women, weary with watching the cross all day, noted with 
intense interest what the stranger Joseph did with the body of Jesus. 
Then as the sun set and the sacred Sabbath began, they went away 
to the place where they had secured lodgings for the week. All the 
next day they rested, but when at sunset the Sabbath ended and the 
bazaars opened, they bought spices with which to prepare the body 
of Jesus for burial, as there had not been time or opportunity to do 
on the day of the crucifixion. Then they waited for the next day to 
dawn. Read Mark 16:1-8 with active imagination, picturing the 
women hurrying past the scene of the crucifixion in the twilight of the 
early morning, anxiously wondering how they could gain access to 
the body in the closed burial chamber. The burial chamber was 
probably high enough for a tall man to stand erect in, although the 
door was low enough to be covered by a stone rolled across it. A 
ledge of native rock had been left on at least three sides of the chamber 
about the height of a seat, and slightly concave, on which dead bodies 
might be laid. On this ledge, at the right of the doorway, a "young 
man" was seen sitting ready to deliver the wonderful message which 
has never ceased to thrill the hearts of men. Why is it the women 
instead of the disciples that prepare the body of Jesus for burial ? Do 
the women believe Him to have been the Messiah ? Why does the 
young man make special mention of Peter (v. 7) ? Do you see any 
advantage in going back to Galilee for an interview with them (v. 7) ? 

Personal Thought : " Behold the place where they laid Him!" These 
words were spoken from the standpoint of heavenly amazement. 
This young man from the other world sees all the events of the last 
few days from the standpoint of heaven, and on this first opportunity 
to talk with mortals about them he cannot quite confine himself to 
the simple message which Jesus, in anticipation of the women's visit, 
had given him. He must betray the heavenly amazement which fills 
his mind. "Behold the place where they laid Him!" The heavenly 
standpoint gains ground with every successive year, as generation 
after generation, with unabating reverence and wonder, travel across 
continents and oceans to see the place where they laid Him. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 187 



Study XXIII.— C&e Eesttrrectton 

SECOND Day: The Resurrection of Jesus, According to Mark 
(concluded). Mark 16 

Attention is now quite generally called to the fact that the paragraph 
Mark 16: 9-20 does not appear in the two oldest Greek manuscripts. 
It is thought by many scholars not to be of a piece with the rest of 
the Gospel. The principal points usually urged in favor of the view 
that these verses were not originally a part of the Gospel are these: 
(1) A vivid, detailed narrative breaks off at a most interesting point in 
v. 8, and is followed by a brief summary barren of all details. The 
way in which the narrative might naturally be expected to proceed is 
seen in Matt. 28:8-10 and Luke 24:7-11. (2) The promise of a 
meeting in Galilee (v. 7) finds no fulfillment as it does in Matthew. 
(3) Mary Magdalene is described in v. 9 ("out of whom He cast seven 
devils") as though introduced into the narrative for the first time, 
although the preceding section mentions her among the women who 
went to the tomb (v. 1). (4) The mention of the first day of the week in 
v. 9 would be quite unnatural if this section were a part of the preced- 
ing, for the author has already stated in v. 2 that the visit to the tomb 
occurred on that day. (5) The paragraph contains verbal peculiarities 
more evident in the Greek than in the English, which distinguish 
it from the rest of the Gospel. Read the paragraph. Why the Gos- 
pel should end abruptly with v. 8, in case vv. 9-20 were not a part of 
the original Gospel, or what became of the original ending if there 
were one, are questions not very satisfactorily answered. 

If you endeavor to analyze the emotions of the disciples (v. 10), 
over what are they probably mourning? "Believe" what (v. 16)? 
That is, what is the gospel ? It seems hardly probable that the 
words ascribed to Jesus in v. 18 were regarded by the compiler of 
this section as a promise that all Christians should be poison-proof. 
He probably thought of the words as finding an illustration in such 
special instances as Acts 28 : 1-6. 

Personal Thought : Vv. 19-20 express the experience of the church 
in all the centuries. Men go here and there preaching the good news 
of opportunity to enter the large and enduring life of the Kingdom 
through accepting Jesus Christ as Lord. With these men their in- 
vincible Lord at the center of power in the universe cooperates. 
Signs follow: men stop cursing and begin to pray; drunkards be- 
come sober men; selfish men begin to feel an interest in others. 



1 88 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXIIL— 8T&* Eesumction 

Third Day: The Resurrection of Jesus, According to Matthew. 
Matt. 28 

Read first Matt. 28: 1-8, which is parallel to Mark 16: 1-8, looking 
for new information. 

Read vv. 9-10. This is not the first appearance, as will be seen 
later in the study of John's Gospel. What thought appears to be 
uppermost in the mind of Jesus after His resurrection ? 

Read vv. n -15, and note the characteristic peculiarity of Matthew 
contained in them. This explanation of the resurrection of Jesus 
was probably current among the enemies of early Christianity, and 
has sometimes reappeared since. At present, even those who do not 
accept the resurrection, generally discard this explanation as an im- 
possible one. The whole character of the early church makes it 
evident that its founders could not have been guilty of this fraud. 

Read vv. 16-20, which quickly transfer the scene to the northern 
province and to a time some days or weeks later. It is not necessary 
to suppose that only the eleven were present, and the statement that 
"some doubted" (v. 17) seems to indicate that others were present. 
Perhaps this may even have been the large meeting of five hundred in 
which Jesus appeared, according to I Cor. 15:6. Read vv. 18-20 
with especial care. What is meant by the last half of v. 18 ? That is, 
what may we suppose would have been an instance of the exercise of 
Jesus' "authority" in heaven? What is it for Him to have "au- 
thority" on earth ? What is the force of "therefore" (v. 19) ? 

Personal Thought : "And Jesus came unto them and spake unto 
them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and 
on earth. Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, 
baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the 
Holy Ghost : teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I com- 
manded you : and lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the con- 
summation of the age." Persons in fellowship with the Spirit of Jesus 
are to bear the commands of Jesus to all nations. It is an authoritative 
Lord whose ambassadors we are. We are not begging men to do our 
Lord a favor by becoming His disciples, but we go to acquaint them 
with the commands of one who has authority in heaven and earth. 
We have no spirit of arrogant authority ourselves for we are ourselves 
obeying Him. We simply urge others to join us in obeying the com- 
mands of Jesus Christ. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 189 



Study XXIIL— Cfce Kesttrmtton 

Fourth Day: The Resurrection of Jesus, According to Luke. 
Luke 24 

1. Read Luke 24: 1-12, noting any new information. Especially 
note the attitude of Luke to Peter. There are always many sides to 
an event with which many persons are connected. Each actor sees it 
from the angle of his own personal relation to it. There must have 
been many disciples closely connected with the appearances of Jesus 
after His resurrection — the women, the eleven, "all the rest" (Luke 
24:9), besides the Roman guard and the miscellaneous spectators. 
It is to be expected, therefore, that in different accounts different 
circumstances would come to light. 

2. Read next Luke 24: 13-35, tne beautiful narrative preserved 
by Luke alone describing the experience of two who seem not to 
have been apostles, although closely connected with the apostolic 
company (v. 33). It is like Luke to feel specially interested in the 
experience of these two* comparatively obscure men, and to show how 
graciously Jesus honored them with a special interview. It would 
be interesting to know the previous history of these two men, and what 
it was in their situation that made Jesus single them out for so signal 
a manifestation of His favor. In the crowded condition of the city 
and its suburbs these two men had been obliged to find lodgings some 
seven or eight miles out of the city (v. 13), or possibly they were resi- 
dents of this village and belonged to the Judean contingent of Jesus' 
following. 

Imagine some of the things that they were saying to each other (vv. 
14-15). Just how much of what had happened in the early morning 
hours of that day did they know ? What had been the view of Jesus 
held by these two men before His execution ? What was it now ? 
When the stranger began to cite from memory the Messianic passages 
in Moses and the prophets and to advocate the novel idea that the 
Scripture predicted a suffering Messiah, the two men must have thought 
that they had fallen in with some great rabbi, and yet a rabbi utterly 
different from most of his class. When they saw that their village was 
not His destination, they urged Him to spend the approaching night 
with them. Doubtless they wished to know more of this novel in- 
terpretation of the scriptures. 

Personal Thought : "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and 
the day is now far spent." 



190 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



' Abide with me ! fast falls the eventide, 
The darkness deepens — Lord with me abide ! 
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, 
Help of the helpless, O, abide with me ! 

1 Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day ; 
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away ; 
Change and decay in all around I see ; 

Thou who changest not, abide with me ! 

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word, 

But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord, — 

Familiar, condescending, patient, free ; 

Come, not to sojourn, but abide, with me ! 

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings, 
But kind and good, with healing in thy wings, — 
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea ; 
Come, Friend of sinners, and abide with me ! 

1 need Thy presence every passing hour ; 

What but Thy grace can foil the Tempter's power ? 
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be ? 
Through cloud and sunshine, O, abide with me ! 

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless ; 

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. 

Where is Death's sting ? Where, Grave, thy victory ? 

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me ! 

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes ! 
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies ! 
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee ; 
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!" 



Henry F. Lyte. 



*0 

gJL^jj&Jaj^ 



1 f 









c 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 191 



Study XXIII.— W$t Rwtirortimi 

Fifth Day: The Resurrection of Jesus, According to Luke (con- 
cluded). Luke 24 

1. As the men sat down to break bread together, the stranger as- 
sumed the authority of host, broke the bread, blessed it, and served 
it to them. This unexpected action made them look at the stranger 
with surprise, and while they gazed intently at Him watching Him 
perform the act they had so often seen Jesus perform, the spell was 
broken and they saw that the mysterious rabbi was no other than 
Jesus Himself. While they looked He disappeared. They would not 
keep their discovery to themselves even over night, but hurried back 
to Jerusalem. As they opened the door of the room where the 
Jerusalem company was gathered, they were greeted with the cry, 
"The Lord is risen. He hath appeared to Simon !" Then they told 
their story (vv. 33-35)- What do you imagine to have been the 
nature of Jesus' interview with Peter ? 

2. The apostolic company was now in a state of excitement. The 
women, Peter, and last of all these two men from Emmaus had all 
caught glimpses of Jesus, and yet this seemed to the others incredible. 
Read Luke 24:36-43. Jesus possessed a body completely responsive 
to His spirit. It could be made visible or invisible at His spirit's will, 
and could apparently pass through space as quickly as His spirit willed 
to have it. At the same time it could eat food if His spirit willed to 
have it, and it bore the marks of crucifixion. It seems to be from 
such phenomena that Paul derived, in part at least, his conception of 
a spiritual resurrection body (I Cor. 15: 35-53). 

3. In v. 44 begins a paragraph summing up the final message of 
Jesus to His disciples. Read vv. 44-53. Fuller details are given in 
Acts 1 : i-n. Exactly what was the message that they were to bear 
to the nations ? To what extent were they to have verified it in their 
own experience ? What preparation did they need for this work ? 

Personal Thought: "And He lifted up His hands and blessed 
them" (v. 50). In their last view of Him as He went heavenward, 
hands with nail marks in the palms were extended over them in bless- 
ing. He loved them to the end, or rather to the new beginning, for 
as they fell on their faces before His disappearing form (v. 52) their 
hearts were filled with joy, and there have never since been wanting 
those who have felt the joy of His personal blessing in their lives. 






WjuU^iJL^~ 



191 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXIII.— ^e Ktfitirrection 

SlXTH Day : The Resurrection of Jesus, According to Paul. I Cor. 
15 : 1-8 

Long before our Gospels took their present literary form, Paul's 
first letter to the Corinthians was written. Its date was between twenty 
and thirty years after the resurrection. In the letter Paul refers to 
an earlier time when he was preaching to the Corinthians the resur- 
rection, and to a still earlier time when he had himself been convinced 
of it. Read I Cor. 15: 1-8. Almost all of those mentioned by Paul 
were alive when he wrote — Peter and James, most of the Twelve; even 
of the five hundred, but few had died. The church of the resurrected 
Christ was in existence and quietly spreading over the Roman Empire. 

Personal Thought: It is an historical fact that the apostles supposed 
they had seen Jesus. In some way they had come to feel that Jesus 
had not simply gone where pious Jews went at death, where the dead 
prophets before Him had gone. They believed that He had broken 
through the confines of the spiritual world and had come back to 
the men that He loved; that He was in a state of spiritual nearness 
to them which made it practicable for them to speak to Him in prayer, 
and which enabled Him to bring His personal influence directly 
to bear upon their spirits. "Christ liveth in me" was Paul's report 
of his spiritual experience. The Christian church has ever since 
perpetuated this testimony in its report of personal experience. This 
belief of the Christian church, from the apostles down, is a colossal 
historical fact that must be accounted for in some way. Various 
theoretical explanations have been advanced, but none of them has 
stood the test of scientific scrutiny as has that which is presented in 
the Gospel narrative, namely, that on the third day after His death, 
Jesus' tomb was found empty and He Himself in bodily form was 
seen by His disciples. His resurrection was not a mere restoration 
to previous conditions, like that experienced by the young man of 
Nain; it was rather an entrance into a new and higher form of per- 
sonal existence in which He has access to the spirits of all willing 
men. We have more than the mere religious teacher, Jesus of Naz- 
areth, to be classed with Confucius and Buddha. We have a Resur- 
rected Christ, who is our Living Lord and Saviour. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 193 



Study XXIII.— Clje Ecgttmction 

SEVENTH Day: The Resurrection of Jesus, According to John. 
John 20-21 

1. We shall study John's Gospel in Part II, but it is desirable to 
read rapidly at this point chapters 20 and 21. 

2. Look back for a moment upon the picture of Jesus in the Synop- 
tic Gospels. These Gospels have made no effort to present the life 
of Jesus in a form that is thought essential to modern biography. 
They have given scarcely a hint of the length of His public life ; the 
order of events in His public life is not clear ; but what He did and 
what He was stand out with unmistakable clearness. There is no 
doubt as to what kind of person He was, and it is this personality 
that stands out with increasing clearness and winsomeness. Not 
merely with winsomeness, but with a kind of awesome, persistent 
strength which convinces one that Jesus cannot be put away with 
the men of the past, but will forevermore press on irresistibly into 
the present and the endless future. 

Think for a moment what a tremendous personal consciousness 
has been reported in these quiet Gospel pages. Remember His pro- 
found interest in men ; His expectation of continued association with 
men after His death ; His consciousness of power to judge all men, 
and to judge them by their attitude towards Himself; His conviction 
that He could establish and administer a world-empire of brotherly 
men; His sense of being able to suffer in such a way as to bring good 
to all men ; His sense, easily sustained, of being the only one who 
could show men what kind of person God is ; His sense of right to 
the supreme affection of all men. Remember the deeds of power that 
accompanied this unique personal consciousness, — deeds of power 
that culminated naturally in power to rise from the dead. Further- 
more, consider that this marvelous personal consciousness has found 
sure corroboration in the effect that Jesus has shown Himself able 
to produce in the life of the world. What a person thinks himself 
to be, and the corroboration which his thought of Himself finds in 
what he shows himself able to do, determine in the most fundamental 
way who he is. All the features of Jesus' personal consciousness 
mentioned above have found corroboration in the effect which He 
has shown Himself able to produce upon the life of the world. His 
profound interest in men has proven so virile and vital as to live through 
the centuries, and to be recognized, even by men who do not call them- 



194 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



selves His disciples; there have never failed to be men who believed 
themselves to live in personal association with Him as He expected; 
He has shown Himself able to judge men by compelling them to esti- 
mate their conduct by His standards; the establishment of His empire 
of brotherly men goes on to-day as the greatest enterprise of the 
twentieth century; men in all nations are saying "Christ died for me;" 
the world's conception of Deity to-day is shaped by the standards of 
Deity revealed in the life and character of Jesus Christ; He has won 
the love of men, and men in every nation in this twentieth century 
are ready to die for love of Him. He has proved Himself by the in- 
vincible logic of events on the large scale of the world of the twentieth 
century to be the Lord Jesus Christ. 

" Immortal Love, forever full, 
Forever flowing free, 
Forever shared, forever whole, 
A never-ebbing sea! 

" Our outward lips confess the name 
All other names above; 
Love only knoweth whence it came, 
And comprehendeth love. 

" He cometh not a king to reign ; 
The world's long hope is dim ; 
The weary centuries watch in vain 
The clouds of heaven for Him. 

" In joy of inward peace, or sense, 
Of sorrow over sin, 
He is His own best evidence, 
His witness is within. 

" Through Him the first fond prayers are said, 
Our lips of childhood frame, 
The last low whispers of our dead, 
Are burdened with His name. 

" O Lord and Master of us all! 
Whate'er our name or sign, 
We own thy sway, we hear thy call, 
We test our lives by thine." 

Whittier, Our Master. 



PART II 

STUDIES IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST AS 
PRESENTED IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 

Studies xxiv-xxx 



Introductory Note on John and His 
Gospel 

Side by side with the Synoptic Gospels there has come down from 
the early church another Gospel, so unlike them in some particulars 
as to warrant its separate consideration. It contains new incidents 
in the life of Jesus, generally attaches to these incidents discourses 
of Jesus, and reports these discourses in a literary style quite unlike 
that of the discourses of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels. 

Of all the New Testament writings, this Gospel has been perhaps 
the most influential in shaping the religious experience of men, though 
not in determining theological phraseology. In the deepest experi- 
ences of life, generation after generation of men have turned to this 
book. By the side of our dead we hear in the solemn hush of the 
funeral service, "Let not your heart be troubled"; in the sacredly 
joyous moments of the wedding ceremony we allude to our Lord's 
presence at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, which this Gospel de- 
scribes; by the side of penitent souls being born into eternal life we 
repeat the words, "God so loved the world that He gave His only 
begotten Son"; to the doubtful who are trying to hope for immortality 
we bring the words of Jesus, "He that believeth in me, though he die, 
yet shall he live"; restless men longing for peace we bid hear Him say, 
" My peace I give unto you." For nineteen centuries men and women 
sorrowing, hoping, sinning, repenting, marrying, and dying have laid 
their hands on this piece of literature and heard its words with the 
irresistible eagerness of the deepest emotions of which human nature 
is capable. 

The Gospel is dominated by a distinct and clearly expressed pur- 
pose, namely, to make such a presentation of Jesus as will call out or 
strengthen belief in Him and so result in life. Read John 20:31. 
If we may take into account the so-called First Epistle of John, it is 
evident that the author's clientage had suffered seriously from the 
inroads of heresy. A considerable part had left them: "They went 
out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they 
would have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be 
made manifest that they all are not of us" (I John 2: 19). The 
general nature of this heresy is clearly an inadequate view of Jesus, 
though its exact character is not evident. The author emphasizes 
197 



198 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



repeatedly the superiority of Jesus to John the Baptist (1 : 6-8, 19-28, 
30; 3 126-30; cf. Acts 19: 1-6); he asserts Jesus' unique relation to 
God (1 : 1-19, and many of Jesus' discourses); and the universality 
of Jesus' influence (1 : 9). 

The locality in which this heresy was threatening the church was 
one in which the so-called "Logos" teaching was current. The 
Greek word "Logos," translated "Word" (John 1 : 1), was used in 
the Jewish circles of Alexandria in North Africa to designate some- 
what vaguely a manifestation of God. The influence of this Alexan- 
drian school of thought was not confined to North Africa, but extended, 
among other places, into Asia Minor. The author of the Gospel does 
not use the word "Logos" as though it were a favorite expression 
with him, for it occurs only in the beginning of his Gospel and then 
is dropped. It seems rather to be a word that he finds current among 
those for whom he writes, and that he uses temporarily for the sake 
of making his own thought intelligible to those who are attracted by 
another circle of ideas. He wishes to say to his clientage : "The true 
'Logos' of whom you hear them speaking is He who appeared in the 
flesh as Jesus Christ." According to the tradition of the church, 
which there is no time here to examine, those for whom the Gospel 
was primarily written lived in Asia Minor. 

One of the questions of modern New Testament scholarship is, 
Who wrote the Fourth Gospel ? In the appendix to the Gospel it is 
asserted (21 : 24) that the one who wrote this Gospel was a certain, 
well-known, unnamed disciple described as "that disciple whom Jesus 
loved" (cf. 21 : 7, 20; 13:23). In the Synoptic Gospels the three 
disciples who are conspicuous for the intimacy of their relation to 
Jesus were Peter, James, and John (cf. Mark 5:37; 9:2; 13:3; 
14:33). John 21:20 makes it certain that "the disciple whom 
Jesus loved" was not Peter, and James died very early (Acts 12: 2). 
Therefore it is concluded that the author was John. A careful 
scrutiny of the Gospel shows that the account is written by, or 
derived from, one who was an eye-witness of what he described. 
Many evidences of this will appear in the course of the study. For 
the present read 1:35-51; 2:6; 11:30. Furthermore, the author 
seems to be acquainted with the Synoptic narrative, and yet not to 
be afraid of enlarging, explaining, and sometimes even of seeming 
to contradict it (e. g. in the date of the crucifixion). He also betrays 
profound sympathy with the deepest thoughts of Jesus, and carries 
them out apparently in accordance with his own modes of thought 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 199 



and literary style to a fulness of expression not found in the Synoptic 
Gospels. With one possible exception, these ideas so fully developed 
are found at least in embryo in the Synoptic Gospels. The thought 
ascribed to Jesus in the Fourth Gospel is a consistent and necessary 
unfolding of the thought ascribed to Him in the Synoptic Gospels. 
If we ask who it is who was an eye-witness of Jesus and His deeds, 
who knew the Synoptic Gospels but was not afraid to seem to correct 
them, who knew the deepest thought of Jesus and felt himself 
inspired to express it in his own modes of thought and literary style, 
we need not refuse to say "the apostle John." 

The tendency of radical New Testament scholarship has been 
strongly toward the ascription of the Gospel indirectly to John, that is, 
to a Johannine circle, but it has somewhat decisively of late stopped 
short of ascribing it directly to him. The many critical questions 
that arise in this connection cannot receive attention in a book of 
this scope. It will be assumed in all the studies that the author is 
John. 

John was a man of the northern province of Palestine, a fish packer 
with his father and brother. His mother was a woman of religious 
temperament who had much to do with Jesus (Matt. 27 : 56). She 
was a forceful, ambitious woman who retained her influence over her 
sons after they were men (Matt. 20 : 20). If John is the unnamed 
man in John 1 : 40, evidently he belonged to the company of intense 
and enthusiastic young men who gathered about the prophet of the 
wilderness, John the Baptist, and yielded themselves to the potent 
influence of his strenuous spirit. Then he came under the influence 
of Jesus as Jesus' most intimate friend. In the early years of the 
history of the church he appears twice, both times in connection with 
Peter (Acts 3:i;4:i9;8:i4). Later, in Gal. 2 : 9, he was acknowl- 
edged by Paul to be one of the leading men of the Jerusalem church. 
If he wrote the Book of Revelation he was certainly a man of influence 
in Asia Minor (Rev. 1 :^). In this region in later years he would 
have come under the influence of Paul's writings, and his Gospel shows 
decided traces of such influence. By the tradition of the church he 
wrote his Gospel in Asia Minor toward the end of the first century. 
He is said to have lived to a great age and finally to have become so 
feeble that he had to be carried into the church and had strength 
simply to say, "Little children, love one another." 



aoo Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXIV.— $cm&, t\)t BeMatton of (Soil's (grate an* CrtttJ), 
^Dtottjes tl)t Nation 

First Day: The Author of the Gospel 

There was a time when the Gospel of John was not. Then it took 
shape in some man's mind, and afterwards the objective form in which 
we have it. The author makes much of the fact that his Gospel had 
its source in his own personal experience with Jesus. Read I : 14; 
ig : 35. It was in some sense a personal testimony. This is brought 
out clearly in the First Epistle of John, which may be regarded either 
as a kind of postscript or as a kind of prefatory note to the Gospel. 
Read I John 1 : 1-3. Read the Introductory Note on John and his 
Gospel, omitting the references. 

" I'm growing very old. This weary head 
That hath so often leaned on Jesus' breast, 
In days long past that seem almost a dream, 
Is bent and hoary with its weight of years. 
These limbs that followed Him — my Master — oft 
From Galilee to Judah; yea, that stood 
Beneath the cross, and trembled with His groans, 
Refuse to bear me even through the streets 
To preach unto my children. E'en my lips 
Refuse to form the words my heart sends forth. 
My ears are dull, they scarcely hear the sobs 
Of my dear children gathered round my couch; 
God lays His hand upon me — yea, His hand; 
And not His rod — the gentle hand that I 
Felt, those three years, so often pressed in mine, 
In friendship such as passeth woman's love. 

I'm old; so old I cannot recollect 
The faces of my friends ; and I forget 
The words and deeds that make up daily life : 
But that dear face, and every word He spoke, 
Grow more distinct as others fade away, 
So that I live with Him and holy dead 
More than with living. 

Some seventy years ago 
I was a fisher by the sacred sea. 
It was at sunset. How the tranquil tide 
Bathed dreamily the pebbles! How the light 
Crept up the distant hills and in its wake 
Soft purple shadows wrapped the dewy fields ! 
And then He came and called me. Then I gazed, 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 201 



For the first time, on that sweet face. Those eyes, 
From out of which, as from a window, shone 
Divinity, looked on the inmost soul, 
And lighted it forever. Then His words 
Broke on the silence of my heart and made 
The whole world musical. Incarnate Love 
Took hold of me and claimed me for its own. 
I followed in the twilight, holding fast 
His mantle. 

O, what holy walks we had, 
Through harvest fields, and desolate, dreary wastes! 
And oftentimes He leaned upon my arm, 
Wearied and way-worn. I was young and strong, 
And so upbore Him. Lord, now I am weak, 
And old, and feeble! Let me rest on Thee! 
So, put Thine arm around me. Closer still! 
How strong Thou art ! The twilight draws apace, 
Come, let us leave these noisy streets and take 
The path to Bethany; for Mary's smile 
Awaits us at the gate, and Martha's hands 
Have long prepared the cheerful evening meal. 
Come, James, the Master waits; and Peter, see, 
Has gone some steps before. 

What say you, friends ? 
That this is Ephesus, and Christ has gone 
Back to His kingdom ? Ay, 'tis so, 'tis so, 
I know it all ; and yet, just now, I seemed 
To stand once more upon my native hills, 
And touch His garments — bringing back the strength 
To palsied limbs ! I feel it has to mine. 
Up! bear me once more to my church! Once more ; 
There let me tell them of a Saviour's love ; 
For, by the sweetness of my Master's voice 
Just now, I think He must be very near — 
Coming, I trust, to break the vail, which time 
Has worn so thin that I can see beyond 
And watch His 



So, raise up my head. 
How dark it is! I cannot seem to see 
The faces of my flock. Is that the sea 
That murmurs so, or is it weeping ! Hush, 
My little children ! God so loved the world 
He gave His Son. So love ye one another. 
Love God and man. Amen. Now bear me back. 
My legacy unto the world is this. 
My work is finished. Are the streets so full ? 



202 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



What, call the folk my name ? The Holy John ? 
Nay, write me rather Jesus Christ's beloved. 
And lover of my children. 

Lay me down 
Once more upon my couch, and open wide 
The eastern window. See, there comes a light 
Like that which broke upon my soul at eve, 
When, in the dreary Isle of Patmos, Gabriel came 
And touched me on the shoulder. See, it grows 
As when he mounted toward the pearly gates. 
I know the way! I trod it once before. 
And hark! it is the song the ransomed sang 
Of glory to the Lamb! How loud it sounds! 
And that unwritten one ! Methinks my soul 
Can join it now. But who are these who crowd 
The shining way ? Say — joy ! 'tis the eleven, 
With Peter first! How eagerly he looks! 
How bright the smiles are beaming on James' face! 
I am the last. Once more we are complete 
To gather round the Paschal feast. My place 
Is next my Master. O, my Lord, my Lord! 
How bright Thou art ! and yet the very same 
I loved in Galilee. 'Tis worth the hundred years 
To feel this bliss ! So lift me up, dear Lord ; 
Unto Thy bosom. There shall I abide." 

Anonymous, St. John the Aged. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 203 



Study XXIV.— $zm&, tlje Ketoelatton oi koto's (Srace ana Crtttl), 

DiiJtUes t&e -Bation 

Second Day: The Plan of the Gospel 

1. The plan of the Gospel is outlined in the so-called "prologue," 
that is, the first eighteen verses, and is exceedingly simple. Jesus 
Christ, a manifestation of the grace and truth of God, the Unseen Father, 
presents Himself to all men; some refuse Him, but others believe in 
Him and have life. Read rapidly vv. 1-18. After the prologue there 
follows a series of historical instances in which Jesus presents Him- 
self either to groups or individuals, showing more or less distinctly 
the grace and truth of God, and in each of these instances John takes 
pains to point out the consequent belief or unbelief. These mani- 
festations John regards as "signs." In order that this dominant 
idea of the Gospel may clearly appear, look up carefully all of the 
following: 1:50; 2: II, 23; 4:39-42, 53; 5:38; 6:66, 69; 7:31, 
43; 8:30; 9:34,38; 10 : 31, 38, 39; 11:27; 12:37,42. Finally, 
the author hopes that this presentation of Jesus in his Gospel will 
lead his readers to resist heresy and keep on believing in Jesus in 
such a way as to have life. Read 20 : 30-31. 

2. The Gospel divides into three parts after the prologue. The 
first division is I : 19—12 : 50 : A series of manifestations of Jesus as the 
grace and truth of the Father, resulting in belief and unbelief in the 
nation; and at the close of the series, a solemn condemnation of the un- 
belief of the national leaders. In justification of the last clause read 
carefully the last words of the section, namely, 12:37-50. 

The second main division is chapters 13-17: A private and most 
complete manifestation of Himself to His disciples, resulting in belief. 
For the present read only 16 : 29-30, which describes the result. 

The third main division is chapters 18-20: Final manifestation of 
God's grace and truth in Jesus' death and resurrection, resulting in 
belief. For the present read only 20 : 24-28, near the end of the 
division. 

The Gospel ends with 20 : 31. Chapter 21 is added as an appendix, 
the reason for which will be considered later. 

Personal Thought : " But these are written that ye may believe that 
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (20: 31). Faith is strengthened 
when one sees clearly the person who is the object of faith. The 
result of these weeks of study ought to be such a clearer vision of Jesus 
"'hrist as shall constrain a more confident faith in Him. 



204 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXIV.— J esus, t&e Hcijelattoa of <BaH'6 <3vut an* Crutl), 
EHtritoes the Batton 
Third Day: The Prologue. John 1:1-18 

Read once more 1 : 1-18. It becomes immediately evident that when 
the Gospel was written a far higher conception of Messiahship pre- 
vailed than that which Jesus found current among the Jews when 
Peter felt that his Messiah was one who could blunder and be in need 
of corrective counsel (Mark 8 : 31-32). We come here upon the high 
Christian conception of Messiahship into which Jesus transformed 
the lower Jewish conception. The change had taken place long 
before this Gospel was written, for the higher conception appears 
with entire distinctness in the writings of Paul (<?. g. Col. I : 15-17; 
Phil. 2 : 5-1 1 ). When, after Jesus' resurrection, believers began to see 
that He had been nothing less than a flawless manifestation of God 
to men, it was not difficult to think of Him as an eternal manifestation 
of God, to believe that whatever God had ever done had been done 
through the eternal Christ. In vv. 1-4 the author evidently has the 
the first chapter of Genesis in mind, and from this narrative in Genesis 
he catches up the suggestive words "life," "light," "darkness." Read 
the first verses of Genesis. 

In order to understand the Gospel it is necessary to consider some- 
what carefully the ideas of the prologue: (1) Jesus Christ is trie 
"Logos" of whom the author's contemporaries talk so much. The 
author's distinctive position is that the Logos actually became flesh 
as the historical character, Jesus Christ (v. 14). (2) Jesus Christ, 
therefore, is the revelation of the unseen God. No man ever saw 
God, but we know what kind of person He is. He is the kind of 
person that we have found Jesus Christ to be. Read vv. 14-18. (3) 
The two fundamental characteristics of the unseen God which appear 
in perfection in the life of Jesus Christ are "grace and truth" (vv. 14, 
1 7); that is. a beautiful, fascinating kindness, and the exact report in life 
and word of things as they are, or, roughly speaking, honesty. The 
two traits that stood out in the character of Jesus, as John 
looked across the decades to his months of intimate association with 
Him, were such kindness and honesty as constituted Him a perfect 
revelation of the unseen God (v. 14). They welled up abundantly 
in Him; His friends experienced instance after instance of His kind- 
ness (v. 16). The author had known and valued the law of Moses, 
as his contemporaries perhaps overvalued it, but they had found in 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 205 



Moses no such incarnation of God's kindness and sincerity as Jesus 
Christ in His ov/n person brought to them (v. 17). (4) The results 
of the approach to man of this incarnation of God's kindness and 
sincerity were twofold : (a) Some did not recognize Him. He came 
like a light into darkness. That which constituted Him moral light 
was His flawless kindness and sincerity ; that which constituted 
others' moral darkness was their hate and insincerity. Read I John 
2: 9-1 1. Jesus stole in upon a world of ill-will and insincerity as noise- 
lessly as the light. At first He was not recognized. The references 
to Him in the profane literature of the first decades after His death 
are exceedingly meagre. Someone has said that the pagan world 
looked at Him with the unrecognizing bovine stare of the cattle who 
saw Him as a babe in the manger. But before long like a light He 
was shining everywhere, and even the Roman Emperor was a Christian. 
(b) Others at once believed in Him; that is, recognized Him as the 
revelation of God and treated Him as such. This gave them life; that 
is, brought them into correspondence with their personal, spiritual 
environment, God and man, which constitutes life. Read the author's 
view of "life" in his report of Jesus' words (17: 3). By virtue of their 
attachment of themselves in faith to Jesus they entered into a rela- 
tionship to God so close as to be described by a term no less signifi- 
cant than "children of God" (v. 12). God Himself was the author 
of the relationship (v. 13). 

As has been already suggested in the Introductory Note, there are 
certain heretical ideas in view of which the author makes some of 
the statements in this prologue. It is not possible to state these 
heretical views with clearness. Perhaps the repetitions in vv. 1-3 
indicate that the author's Christian Logos was a more exalted 
personage than the Logos of the others; some may have been over- 
estimating John the Baptist (vv. 8, 9, 15); some may have been 
inclined to urge special spiritual attainments for a select class, rather 
than to hold the democratic ideas of the author (v. 9); they seem cer- 
tainly to have questioned the actual flesh and blood existence of Jesus 
Christ (v. 14; cf. I John 4 : 2-3). For all these ideas the author knows 
only one remedy: to draw the portrait of Jesus Christmas he himself 
knew Him. 

Personal Thought: "He hath declared Him." We know now that 
the unseen God is infinitely kind and honest, and that there is there- 
fore no fellowship with Him possible except to one who is himself ready 
to become kind and honest. 



2o6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Stud^ XXIV.— %tm*, t\)t Eetoelatton of dhoti's <3xntt auto Crutl), 
SDitotoea t\>t JBation 

Fourth Day: John the Baptist's Testimony to Jesus. John i: 
19-36 

1. Read 1 : 19-28. The delegation of smug ecclesiastics from the 
city is gathered about this strange rough man from the wilderness 
inspecting him. Evidently he has been at work for some time, and 
is now being called upon in semi-formal fashion to give account of 
himself to the religious authorities in Jerusalem. Those who sent 
the delegation are called "Jews." At the time when the Gospel was 
written the Jews as a nation stood out historically as the opponents 
of Christianity, and would be spoken of in this way even by a Chris- 
tian who was himself by race a Jew. 

2. Read vv. 29-36. The narrative reads as though it were related 
by one of the inner circle of John's disciples who knew what happened 
on each successive day (vv. 29, 35, 43 ; 2 : 1). To the public John the 
Baptist announced simply that some great personage would soon 
appear (vv. 26-27); to the small inner circle of his own disciples he 
announced that this greater person was Jesus, and that Jesus was the 
Messiah (v. 34). That he did not announce the Messiahship of Jesus 
to the main body of his disciples is evident from 3 : 23-29. 

It is difficult to determine what is meant by 1 : 29. " Lamb of God " 
was not a Messianic designation. It seems hardly probable that John 
the Baptist expected Jesus to die. Very likely the phrase "Lamb of 
God" came to John the Baptist from his favorite prophet Isaiah, and 
seemed to him to describe the quiet, unresisting (Is. 53 : 7) aspect of 
Messiahship. This phase of Messiahship perhaps became more 
prominent in his thought after the surprising discovery that his quiet 
kinsman in Nazareth was the Messiah. The Messiah was expected 
by everyone to purify His people. The exclamation would then 
mean, "Behold the peaceful, unresisting Messiah who purifies the 
world." By the time the Gospel was written the sacrificial death of 
Jesus was thoroughly recognized, and the words would have sug- 
gested to the author of the Gospel a larger meaning than that which 
they originally had. 

Personal Thought: "Which taketh away the sin of the world." 
Remember, that Jesus Christ will surely purify the world, its homes, 
its business, its governments, its institutions, in all latitudes and 
longitudes. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 207 



Study XXIV.— 3>stt6, uje Eebclatiott of (0oB's 0tace anU CrutI), 

iDtoifces tf)c JBattan 

Fifth Day: The Beginning of the Eternal Friendship. John i: 

37-51 

Read John I : 37-51 in the light of the following summary: Jesus 
shows to the inner circle of the Baptist's disciples a gracious friendli- 
ness (vv. 38, 39, 43) and penetrating sincerity (vv. 42, 47, 48) that win 
a belief (vv. 41, 49) which Jesus encourages (vv. 50-51). Evidently it 
was not official recognition, but personal friendship that Jesus sought 
to secure in order to reveal the friendliness and honesty, "grace and 
truth," of the Unseen Father to this group of young men in whose 
minds patriotism and religious enthusiasm were combined. John re- 
members every detail of the circumstances under which the everlasting 
friendship began. What did they probably talk about in Jesus' lodging 
throughout the late afternoon and evening (v. 39) ? Before the con- 
versation began Andrew hurried away to bring his brother (v. 41). Jesus 
had either known Philip before, or heard about him from John the Bap- 
tist as a promising man (v. 43). Jesus gladly recognized in Nathanael 
a sincere man (v. 47), free from the religious hypocrisy of the day. 
Apparently Nathanael had been passing through some sort of spiritual 
crisis under the fig tree. The region was full of devoutly thoughtful 
people attracted by John the Baptist's preaching, and Nathanael may 
have gone out to be alone under this fig tree. Perhaps he had been 
thinking of God's promise of the land to Jacob when Jacob dreamed 
that he saw God at the head of the angel ladder. Read Gen. 28 : 10-15. 
The passage may easily have seemed to Nathanael, whose mind was 
full of Messianic ideas, to have a Messianic significance. Jesus 
was to be a revelation of God that would open the very heart of 
heaven, and was to be a means of communication between heaven 
and earth. What did Philip expect Nathanael to "see" in Jesus that 
would make the theory of Jesus' Messiahship seem reasonable (v. 46) r 
Notice the scientific character of his proposal : experience is the result 
of experiment. 

Personal Thought: "He brought him to Jesus." In this simple 
commonplace way personal relationships with Jesus were established 
which constituted the foundation of the church of Jesus Christ. The 
fish business, the oil industry, the importation of salt, were going on 
as usual, but that which has affected the life of the world ever since 
is these new personal relationships with Jesus. 



!2o8 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXIV.— feetts, fyt Eolation of (Soto's <3xaic an* Crtttf), 
^)ibtUes the I^atton 

Sixth Day: Jesus Manifests His Friendliness at a Wedding. John 
2:1-11. 

Jesus did not hurry to Jerusalem to connect Himself officially with 
the ecclesiastical machine that had sent its delegation to inspect John 
the Baptist. His plan was not to be an official Messiah and to secure 
official connection with the nation's ecclesiastical organization. He 
proposed rather to reform the nation by bringing the friendliness and 
sincerity of the Unseen God to bear upon its real life. Therefore He 
turned to the heart of the nation, its homes and its social life, its sick 
beds, its little children, its individual hopes and cares and fears. He 
would use power in friendly fashion to meet commonplace needs rather 
than to attempt a great political coup d'etat. He went not to Jeru- 
salem, but to Galilee. The Great Friend, beginning with what was 
at hand and most natural, hastened back to the vicinity of Nazareth 
to be present at the wedding of a family friend. Jesus prevented the 
chagrin of a bridal couple in Cana, at whose wedding party the wine 
failed, and His disciples believed in Him (2: i-ll). Read the para- 
graph. We probably do not realize what lifelong discomfort a young 
bridal couple living in these villages would have experienced in case 
the wedding festivities had been stopped by the failure of the supply 
of wine. Attendance upon these wedding festivities was probably 
a new experience for such of Jesus' disciples as had previously been 
disciples of John the Baptist (cf. Matt. 11: 18). The Greek word 
translated "woman "'in v. 4 is used in very respectful, though some- 
what dignified, address. Jesus respectfully refuses to act upon any 
other suggestion than that which might come from His Father. It was 
by adhering to this principle that He was to become the flawless reve- 
lation of God. Why did His mother think that He could do anything 
to relieve the situation ? What was there in this act that could be 
considered a manifestation of "glory" (v. 11)? 

Personal Thought: "Not yet" (v. 4). The self-control and per- 
fect poise with which Jesus exercised His Messianic power was very 
significant. In the face of the world's great needs that cry out to us 
we sometimes have occasion during the long years of faithful prep- 
aration to say, "Not yet." 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 209 



Study XXIV.— Jcatts, tije Keuelation of (Soft's (Sxztt anU Ctttth, 
2)tbiUc6 tfje illation 

Seventh Day: Jesus Visits the Capital and Finds Only One Man 
at all Prepared for Him. John 2:12-3:21 

Read John 2 : 1 2-3 : 2 1 in the light of the following summary : The 
honest indignation of Jesus flamed out against the dishonest (Mark 
II: 17) bazaar men who were desecrating the temple at the Passover 
season; He did miracles in the Jerusalem streets (2:23; 3:2), the 
result being the beginnings of unbelief (2: 17-20) and also of a super- 
ficial belief which Jesus knew better than to trust (2:23-25); though 
to one candid man He spoke with searching sincerity (3: io-Il) and 
kindly urgency, about the necessity of belief (3 : 14-15). The author 
speaks impressively of belief in Jesus and resulting life (3:16-21). 
Review what was said in Study XVIII, Third Day, regarding the 
scene described here in 2: 13-21. It is uncertain whether this is the 
incident which the Synoptic Gospels assign to the last week of Jesus' 
life. There would seem to be no reason why Jesus should do only once 
what is here described. His indignation would naturally have been 
stirred at every Passover at which He found the scandal tolerated. He 
did not do such things professionally and once for all, but with strong 
personal feeling. The fierceness of His indignation seemed to His 
disciples fairly to consume Him (v. 17). In v. 19 the enigmatical style 
of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels reappears. It was in Himself, rather 
than in the temple, that God dwelt. In v. 22 the author indicates 
familiarity with the working of the apostles' minds which would be 
natural in case he were himself an apostle. 

In spite of the fact that the leaders held critically aloof from Jesus 
(2 : 18), the statement in v. 23 seems to imply that many in Jerusalem 
began to surmise that Jesus was a great prophet from God, and would 
even have accepted Him as Messiah in case He had announced Him- 
self as such. What the people expected of the Messiah was so differ- 
ent from what Jesus was willing to do, that He did not venture to 
declare His Messiahship (2 : 23-25). There was, however, one man 
in Jerusalem to whom Jesus could speak with less reserve. He was, 
strangely enough, a member of the Sanhedrin. Did Nicodemus 
regard Jesus as the Messiah ? What point did Jesus wish to make in 
this conversation (3: I -1 5) and how did He make it ? Who are "we" 
in v. 11 ? 

Personal Thought : There is always new truth for the candid man. 



iio Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXV—Stsus, fyt Eetoelattan of (ESoVfi <8vztt mH Crutl), 

JDtottieS tl)e JBatiOll (Continued) 

First Day: Jesus Visits the Capital and Finds Only One Man at 
all Prepared for Him (continued). John 3:1-21 

In order to understand the conversation of Jesus and Nicodemus it is 
necessary to remember that everyone was talking of John the Baptist 
and his announcement of the nearness of the Kingdom; that existence 
in the Kingdom was commonly thought of as eternal life (cf. Mark 
10: 17, 23); that the beginning of life might naturally be spoken of 
as a " birth." Compare the text with the following paraphrase of the 
conversation : 

Nicodemus: "Rabbi, we know that no one could do the things you 
have done in our streets unless God were with him" (v. 2). 

Jesus: "You want to ask me about the Kingdom of God. I have 
this to say with great conviction : no one will ever see the Kingdom 
unless he is born from above" (v. 3). 

Nicodemus: "It is impossible for a man to be born a second time" 

(v. 4). 

Jesus: "I assure you solemnly that no man will ever enter the New 
Order unless he be born of water and spirit. You Pharisees have 
made a great mistake in failing to identify yourselves with John the 
Baptist, who called men to a water baptism and predicted a Spirit 
baptism (vv. 5-6). Do not let the mystery of it prevent your believing 
the fact of it. There is mystery about the spirit of the air. It blows 
where it will and you hear its voice this windy night, but you do not 
know its source or destination, its whence or whither. So it is when 
the personal spirit of God brings a man into new life" (vv. 7-8). 

Nicodemus: "I do not see how it can be" (v. 9). 

Jesus: "Are you one who pretends to be a religious teacher of the 
people and yet is ignorant of these rudimentary truths (v. 10) ? John 
and I have spoken out of our personal experience, but you Pharisees 
have not been willing to accept our testimony (v. 11). If you do not 
understand the elementary truths of the new life, how would you un- 
derstand the advanced truths of life in its heavenly stages if I were to 
speak them to you (v. 12) ? I who have come from heaven am the 
only source of information in these matters (v. 13). I am to be con- 
spicuously lifted up, like Moses' brass serpent, as a source of life, 
that whoever believes in me may have life" (vv. 14-15). 

Personal Thought: See Personal Thought, Study II, Third Day. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ i\ 



Study XXV.— 3>istt6, tlje EcDcIatton of <0oU'6 (Bvut anil Crutf), 

DtDi&efi! tljC iBatimt (Continued) 

Second Day: Jesus Visits the Capital and Finds Only One Man 
at all Prepared for Him (concluded). John 3:1-21 

1. The expression "lifted up" (v. 14) probably meant to Nico- 
demus "made conspicuous," or perhaps even "enthroned," and 
probably suggested to his mind, when taken in connection with v. 13, 
that Jesus thought Himself to be the Messiah. To the mind of Jesus, 
as appears later, the phrase suggested death (cf. 12:32-33). John 
does not specify here as usual whether this conversation resulted in 
Nicodemus' belief or unbelief, but later in the Gospel he alludes to 
him in a way that does not leave the matter uncertain. 

2. Read vv. 16-21, which are probably the comment of John and 
not a part of Jesus' conversation. This short paragraph is full of 
great thoughts that constantly appear and reappear in this Gospel. 
(1) God loves the world. Who constitute the "world"? (2) God's 
method of making men better is to introduce a suitable person into 
the needy group. He did not send a verbal message, but put His Son 
into their midst. (3) He put a person among them so closely related 
to Himself that He Himself was practically operative in this person's 
activity — His only begotten Son. (4) Everyone who believes in this 
person, that is, comes up to Him reverently, penitently, gladly, as to 
one from God, shall have life. (5) To have life is the opposite of 
"perish," or, as the Greek word is elsewhere translated, being "lost." 
It means being brought into that vital relationship to God and man 
which consists in loving them. Of course, he who comes in loving 
faith to the Son of God begins in that act to love God and man. In 
attaching himself to Jesus, he attaches himself to one who is being 
given by God to the world, and he must necessarily himself become 
a part of the gift. (6) Jesus was not in the world to announce doom, 
and yet, by virtue of His very presence, He was necessarily a judge, 
for a person's attitude toward Jesus reveals his true character. A 
person who is indifferent to Him is becoming morally a bad man (v. 18), 
because he does not find himself drawn to the best expression of God 
the world has ever known and to the best friend of men the world has 
ever known. 

Personal Thought: There is fortunately more to our Christian 
lives than the mere human effort of a groping faith. God has ap- 
proached us, laid hold of us, and introduced us into life. 



2ia Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXV.— 3>6tts, t\)t Kebclation of (Soto's (©race an* €rttt&, 

IDtbifleS tbe JBatiOll (Continued) 

Third Day: In the Country Districts of Judea John the Baptist 
Gives His Final Testimony to Jesus. John 3:22-36 

Jesus withdrew to the country districts of the southern province, 
where He and John the Baptist were for a time near together. A 
debate between John the Baptist's young men and a Jew regarding 
the ceremonial value of the Baptist's baptism, in some way involved 
reference to Jesus, for John's disciples were troubled because Jesus 
was gaining a larger following than John. Their anxiety shows 
that John had not announced the Messiahship of Jesus to the main 
body of his disciples. The "witness" he had borne to Jesus beyond 
the Jordan was simply that Jesus was far mightier than himself 
(1 : 26-30). It was only to a select few that he had privately an- 
nounced the Messiahship of Jesus. John's vision and mission had 
been given him from heaven, but no consciousness of Messiahship had 
come with them and he would grasp for nothing that was not given 
him from heaven. It was a joy to stand by as a friend and hear an- 
other give the bridegroom's shout of exultation. Read 3 : 22-30. 

In vv. 31-36 it is probably the author of the Gospel who speaks of 
Jesus as indeed above John the Baptist, and above all others as well. 
Read the verses. John the Baptist was simply an earth-born man, 
speaking on earth an earth-born man's message ; Jesus was a heaven- 
born man (v. 31), and His message reported what He had seen in 
heaven, and yet men rejected it (v. 32). Whoever does receive it finds 
that all God has ever led His people to expect of the Messiah is 
realized in Jesus (v. 33). Jesus is found to be one who speaks the 
very words of God under an unlimited inspiration of God's Spirit (v. 
34). Indeed, He is unlimited in all His authority, for He is the Son 
whom the infinite Father loves (v. 35). Whoever believes in Him 
is thereby brought into that relation to God that constitutes life; but 
whoever rejects His authority, necessarily deprives himself of life and 
draws God's wrath upon him (v. 36). ^J 

Here John the Baptist disappears from view. What seem to you 
to have been his principal characteristics ? 

Personal "Thought : The wrath of God is a product of His love. A 
good father is moved to an indignant, and even severe, remonstrance 
when his own child does wrong, but is not so stirred by the conduct 
of a strange child. The explanation is that he loves his own child. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 213 



study XXV— 3Tc6tts, tlje Eetoelatton of (Soto's (3vait anto CrotI), 

iDtbiUeS tl)e jRatton {Continued) 

Fourth Day: Jesus Reveals His Grace and Truth by a Well in 
Samaria. John 4:1-42 

Run rapidly over 4: 1-42 in the light of the following summary: 
Jesus with great kindness tries to spare the feelings of John the Bap- 
tist (4: 1-3) by withdrawing to Galilee, and on the way has an inter- 
view with a woman of ill repute in which He speaks with unsparing 
sincerity (vv. 16-18), but with marvelous friendliness and unreserve 
(vv. 9, 26, 27), and wins the belief of the entire village (vv. 39-42). 
Vv. 1-3 show that John and Jesus were thought of as rivals, and make 
more clearly evident the fact that John had not publicly announced 
Jesus' Messiahship. 

Jesus discovered Himself to this woman as He had done to no one out- 
side the inner circle of His disciples (v. 26). He first prepared her to 
discover that He was the Messiah. He showed her unexpected kindness. 
A rabbi would seldom talk with a woman alone, as is evident from the 
surprise of Jesus' disciples (v. 27 R. V. "a woman"); a Jew would sel- 
dom show friendliness to a Samaritan (v. 9). After having estab- 
lished a friendly relationship with her, He tried to awaken in her some 
sense of need. He had something that she did not have and that He 
wished to share with her. He spoke to her in His usual suggestive 
enigmatical style, with which we became familiar in the Synoptic 
Gospels (read vv. 10-14). Jesus' effort seemed to fail. The peasant 
woman was not "spiritually minded" and understood the stranger 
to be promising water possessed of some magical quality, one drink 
of which would permanently satisfy thirst and do away with the 
necessity of the long daily walk to the well. Read v. 15. However, 
Jesus did not give up, but abruptly changed His tactics. He laid His 
hand firmly, but gently, upon the sore spot in her life. The woman 
winced under the touch and made a nervously short, evasive reply. 
She did not succeed in evading Him, for He pressed firmly on and 
told her in a single sentence, courteously, but honestly, the story of 
her life's shame. She had been a good-natured, fickle, sensual wom- 
an, and was living with a man who was not her husband. Read vv. 
16-18. The woman still tried to escape. The stranger was evidently 
a prophet, and she would turn the conversation away from these un- 
comfortable personalities to a subject that would surely interest a 
professional prophet. Read vv. 19-20. Still He would not be side- 



214 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



tracked. He pressed on to speak with kind, but searching, sincerity 
regarding her relation to God, and opened a wealth of new truth to her. 
Read. vv. 21-24. God, He said, was her Father. Her Father was seek- 
ing for her. He was very near to her. He is a spirit, and a spirit is 
not confined to the top of Mt. Gerizim ("this mountain" v. 20), but 
wherever there is a human spirit there is God's Spirit, and there wor- 
ship ought immediately to begin. Her Father is seeking for her. 
Her Father cares because she is living an immoral life. People cannot 
worship God and live an immoral life. They must worship Him 
in truth; that is, out of an honest, righteous life. The woman's mind 
was confused by the wealth of new truth. She had heard much lately 
about the coming Messiah, whom the Samaritan half-breed Jews, as 
well as the Jews themselves, expected soon to appear. When He 
should come He would make all these obscure religious truths clear. 
Then in,^ single quickly, quietly spoken sentence came the great dis- 
covery. Read vv. 25-26. This dusty, tired traveler by the well-side 
the Messiah! What should this loquacious woman say to the Mes- 
siah ? Just then His young men arrived with food for the noonday 
lunch. In her excitement she forgot what she came to the well for 
and slipped away to the village. All her past life rose before her as 
she hurried along, and when she found the men of the village sitting 
in the noonday shade she told them that a Man at the Well had told 
her everything she ever did, and that perhaps He was the Messiah. 
Read vv. 27-30. Why did Jesus not eat the lunch that His disciples 
brought Him (vv. 31-34) ? As He looked across the field at the com- 
pany of men coming from the village His spirit kindled anew. Read 
vv. 35-36. In vv. 37-38 allusion is probably made to John the Baptist's 
work in this region (cf. 3 : 23), the results of which Jesus and His dis- 
ciples were now reaping. 

There followed two rare days that must have long been, and 
perhaps still are, a happy memory in the mind of Jesus. Read vv. 
39-42. The daily walk to the well thereafter was suggestive of inspir- 
ing memories to the woman. 

Personal Thought : "He that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth 
fruit unto life eternal" (v. 36). The eternal friendships between 
those who bring men into fellowship with Jesus Christ and those whom 
they introduce into that fellowship will constitute, it would seem, a 
large part of the rewarding joy of eternal life. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 215 



Study XXV.— 3>Stt£S, tljc delation of (Sali'fi (Srace m'a CrtttI), 

SDtoifcefi t1)t jQation (Continued) 

FlFTH Day: Jesus Makes a Revelation of Grace and Truth in 
Galilee, but Soon Returns to a Feast in Jerusalem. John 
4:43-5:47 

1 . Read 4 : 43-54 in the light of the following summary : Jesus shows 
great kindness to one of Herod's officers by curing bis son of a fatal sick- 
ness, and the whole family believe. V. 44 explains that Jesus was not 
likely to experience any such excess of popularity in Galilee as had 
driven Him out of Judea (cf. 4: 1). In v. 48 Jesus seems to long for 
some such confidence as He had just experienced in Samaria — con- 
fidence that had been accorded Him because of His character. 

2. Take a rapid survey of chapter 5 in the light of the following 
summary: Jesus shows great friendliness in curing on the Sabbath 
a man in desperate need (vv. 5-7), and speaks to him with searching 
sincerity about his evil life (v. 14); He defends Himself in an informal 
investigation by the Sanhedrin with fearless frankness for performing 
this cure on the Sabbath (vv. 16-17), and speaks with great unreserve 
about His relation to the Father (vv. 19-47); unbelief results (vv. 16- 
18, 37-47). As Jesus was wandering sympathetically about the parts 
of the city where the needy were apt to congregate, He came upon 
this peculiarly pathetic case. Existence had become a dreary monot- 
ony. The sick man looked back upon one long series of disappoint- 
ments when he had been on the verge of success. The trouble was 
that he had no friend: "I have no man" (v. 7). There seemed no 
prospect that he would ever have. His long thirty-eight years of 
sickness seem to have been originally due to some sin (v. 14). Fur- 
thermore, the long years of repeated disappointments had soured 
the man's disposition so that he seemed to have become almost in- 
capable of gratitude (v. 15). In the course of carrying out His con- 
ception of Messiahship, namely, manifesting an infinite friendliness 
in the commonplace relations of real life, Jesus helped this helpless 
man on the Sabbath. In doing this he ran athwart the prevailing 
conception of religion and aroused the priests and rabbis. They 
were scandalized as they saw this man going through the Jerusalem 
streets on the Sabbath carrying a bundle, and still more scandalized 
at Jesus. What was the meaning of Jesus' reply in v. 17 ? 

Personal Thought : "I have no man." These fatal gaps between 
need and help, where there is "no man," we are to watch for. 



2i 6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXV.— 3fastt0, tfa Eetodattort of <5atf& (State anU Cttttk 

JDtbtUefi ti)t JftatiOll (Continued) 

SlXTH Day: Jesus Defends Himself in an Informal Investigation 
by the Sanhedrin. John 5:17-47 

The religious authorities who complained of the man for carrying 
his bed on the Sabbath traced his action back to Jesus. They were 
not much impressed by the good fortune of the man who, after thirty- 
eight years of sickness, was now in health, but they were greatly out- 
raged by the Sabbath desecration involved in Jesus' curing him. When 
Jesus was called to account His reply was that in His career thus far 
He had simply worked out what His Father worked in and through 
Him (v. 17). That is, He attributed this Sahbath cure to God. God, 
He said, had drawn near this lonely, helpless, unappreciative, broken- 
spirited man on the Sabbath day and helped him. This view of the 
case greatly angered the authorities, and led them to an informal ex- 
amination of Jesus on a more serious charge (v. 18). Jesus' answer 
to this more serious charge is found in vv. 19-47. The answer is far 
more intelligible when regarded not as a theological treatise, but as 
a report of Jesus' own religious experience. Jesus felt this way as 
He went about from village to village, and home to home. 

It is not quite clear whether 01 not He was understood to be calling 
Himself the Messiah in speaking of God as His Father. Very likely 
the Jews thought that no Messiah would talk as Jesus talked, for their 
conception of Messiahship was far lower than the Christian concep- 
tion. As late as John 10: 24 Jesus had not been understood to make 
any formal announcement of Messiahship. Read vv. 16-47 carefully 
through and give the best tentative answers you can to the following 
questions: What does Jesus think of Himself? How does He justify 
His estimate of Himself ? Why did the Jews not agree with Him ? 

Personal Thought: "My Father worketh even until now, and I 
work." The dignity of work is established. It is a divine act. The 
two fundamental elements of life are friendship and work; the two 
most divine capacities of the human soul are the capacity for friend- 
ship and the capacity for work. Do not think of your work as a 
thing to be avoided or diminished, but as God's gift. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 217 



Study XXV.— Sfretus, tfje Ecbdatton of (BaVn <3vatz anU Crtttf), 

£)ttoiUC6 t|)C JftattOtl (Continued) 

Seventh Day: Jesus Defends Himself in an Informal Investi- 
gation by the Sanhedrin (concluded). John 5:17-47 

Remember that Jesus is being called to account for explaining His 
wonderful cures by the closeness of His relationship to God His Father. 
(Read again vv. 16-18). Compare the following paraphrase with 
the text, verse by verse: "It is the Father who enables me to do what 
I do. He will enable me to do anything that He does (vv. ig-20a). 
He will enable me to do greater things than to give life to this half- 
dead man (20b); I am able to resurrect the dead (v. 21), and to follow 
the resurrection with judgment (v. 22) and am to be treated with 
the respect due to God (v. 23). I can introduce into the age-long 
life that follows the judgment all who attach themselves in friendly 
faith to me (v. 24). I am introducing some into the beginnings of 
this life now, and I feel that as Son of Man I have authority to 
execute judgment (vv. 25-27). This is no more marvelous than to 
cause the general resurrection (vv. 28-29). I can do this only through 
connection with the Father (v. 30). If these startling assump- 
tions were simply the wild vagaries of my own brain they would not 
be true, but they have corroboration (v. 31). God Himself cor- 
roborates them by enabling me to do works of compassionate power 
commensurate with my consciousness of power. I have been able 
to heal men's bodies, and more than this, I have been able to intro- 
duce my disciples into spiritual fellowship with God. John the Bap- 
tist also was given to you as a lesser witness, in whom the people re- 
joiced for a time (vv. 32-373). The fact that the priests and rabbis 
do not like me is proof that they do not like God (vv. 37^38). You 
profess to be interpreters of God's word, but you are not, for it points 
to me. Since to me you will not come, you therefore cannot have 
the enduring life (vv. 39-40). I am not urging you to follow me be- 
cause I love popularity (v. 41). I am simply saying frankly to you 
that you are out of sympathy with God (v. 42). You are so selfishly 
anxious for reputation and popularity that you cannot recognize in me 
the revelation of God. If some one else should come with only a 
great reputation as a rabbi, full of pride and self-assertion, you would 
show him great courtesy; but I who come as a messenger from God, 
and doing God's works, have not been received by you (v. 43). It is 
pride of reputation, selfish desire for deferential salutations, that 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



closes your hearts against God's word. The real honor which is 
conferred by God comes only to those of humble heart (v. 44). Moses, 
in whom you chiefly glory, and upon connection with whom you rest 
your hope of glory, will be your judge. You are really profoundly 
ignorant of the writings of which you proudly claim to be the only 
competent interpreters" (vv. 45-47). 

Certain things become clearly evident: (1) Jesus finds Himself 
conscious of a unique relation to God His Father, and finds this con- 
sciousness justified by what His Father enables Him to do. Read 
carefully again vv. 31, 36-37. (2) He is a perfect revelation of God 
because He is completely submissive to God (vv. 19, 20, 30). (3) 
Since He is a perfect revelation of God, the fact that the religious au- 
thorities do not like Him is proof positive that they do not love God 
(w. 38-43). (4) The reason that they do not like Him is that He 
stands for an order of things that will give no opportunity for the rabbis 
to gratify their selfish love of pre-eminence (v. 44). 

Personal Thought : The condition of all progress in the knowledge 
of God is readiness in good-will to take one's stand with common men. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 219 



Study XXVI— $tm&, t&e Hetoelatton of (00**6 <3vmz an* ©rati), 

SDtoitJeci X\)t JQattOn {Continued) 

FlRST Day: Jesus Seems to the Galileans to be the Messiah In- 
troducing the Age of Messianic Plenty. John 6:1-15 

Without waiting to tell what was the result of the informal investi- 
gation in Jerusalem (chap. 5), the author abruptly brings Jesus back 
to Galilee. Get the scope of chapter 6 by reading the references 
cited in the following summary: Jesus shows His friendliness by 
feeding some thousands of hungry men, and follows this act by a dis- 
course in which He presents Himself as the object of belief, capable 
of giving life to the world (33-40); He lays bare with searching and 
fearless sincerity the real cheapness of motive that actuates a large 
number of His following (26-27); the discourse results in the unbelief 
of many (66), and in the continued belief of the Twelve (67-69). Vv. 
I-13 are parallel to Mark 6:30-46. Read vv. 14-15. V. 14 prob- 
ably refers to Deut. 18: 15. The people thought of the Kingdom 
of God chiefly as a time of easier physical conditions. The abun- 
dance of free bread convinced them that the Messianic plenty of the 
New Kingdom had begun, and they proposed to force Jesus to avow 
His Messiahship. Vv. 16-21 are parallel to Mark 6:47-56. Notice 
in v. 19 the incidental evidence that the account proceeds from an 
eye-witness. Read vv. 22-24, and note the same. Read vv. 22-71 
and give the best answers you can, without spending much time, to 
the following questions: Why did Jesus refuse this recognition of 
Messiahship ? What did Jesus want of the people ? Why did so 
many abandon the theory that He was the Messiah (v. 66) ? 

Personal Thought : The relief of physical distress was one feature 
of Jesus' Messianic program. He did not mean to have men always 
suffering from hunger. He had, however, a divine foresight and self- 
control that enabled Him to discard a measure which would have 
secured quick and superficial relief, and to adopt a policy that would 
secure a slow but fundamental cure of these great ailments. He 
would be content with nothing less than real "life" for the world, 
namely, a civilization of brotherly sons of God in which pain, crime, 
hunger, and even death itself should finally be no more, and into 
which men would find themselves being gradually introduced as one 
by one they passed peacefully and confidently into spiritual fellow- 
ship with Himself. 



22o Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVI— $zms, t&e Eetoelattan at (Soto's (0tace an* Crtttl), 

JjDtoiUeS tf)e JQatton (Continued) 

Second Day: Jesus Seems to the Galileans to be the Messiah in- 
troducing the Age of Messianic Plenty. John 6 (concluded) 

Many of the questions suggested by this great discourse will be 
most succinctly answered by the following paraphrase : 

Jesus: (speaking to the crowd that would have declared Him Mes- 
siah the day before) : " Do not think to deceive me. You have followed 
me here, not because you regard what I did yesterday as a sign that I 
have come from God, or even out of curiosity to see other signs, but 
simply because you have had enough to eat (v. 26). I know that you 
are working people, striving to get food for your families, but you 
ought not to be working solely for food, you ought not to be entirely 
satisfied simply to have bread cheap and plenty. You ought to be 
working for the food that will sustain endless life in the New King- 
dom. This food I would be glad to give you ; and the miracle which 
God enabled me to perform yesterday was intended by Him to 
designate me as one who can give you such food" (v. 27). 

The leaders of the crowd : "What sort of works do you mean that 
God would like us to be doing? Our rabbis in the synagogue are 
continually urging us to do 'God's works' in order to please God. 
What do you consider to be 'God's works ?"' (v. 28). 

Jesus : "'God's works' are very simple. The one thing He wishes 
you to do is to yield yourselves heartily to be controlled by me whom 
He has sent" (v. 29). 

The people : " But if we yield ourselves to your control, must you 
not give us some sign that you are really sent to rule us ? You say we 
ought not to be so bent on getting bread, but was it not by daily dis- 
tribution of free bread that Moses proved to our fathers his right to 
rule them ? It was his sign of God's endorsement. ' Bread from 
heaven he gave them' the Scripture surely reads" (vv. 30-31). 

Jesus : "No, believe me when I say that Moses did not give you 
real bread from heaven ; but my Father is now giving you, though 
you do not realize it, real bread from heaven (v. 32). Genuine ' bread 
from heaven' is the person who comes down from heaven and who 
is competent to sustain the life of the whole world" (vv. 32-33). 

The people: "Sir, we scarcely understand you, but what we want 
is that you give us bread every day as you did yesterday" (v. 34). 

Jtsus : "I am myself, in my own person, that which sustains life. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 221 



Whoever comes to me will find in my friendship something that sat- 
isfies hunger; whoever helieves me to be from God, as I say I am, and 
yields himself obediently to me, will find in my friendship that which 
will satisfy thirst (v. 35). I am obliged to say that you have not come 
to me in this way. You have merely been willing to use me as a means 
of getting free bread (v. 36). Your failure to come to me proves that 
you have not put yourselves at the disposal of God, for had you done 
so He would have given you to me and you would have come to me. 
I should then have received you heartily, and not been obliged to 
repel you as I must when you come simply wanting free bread. Who- 
ever comes to me as a source of higher life I shall certainly never re- 
pulse, because my purpose in coming down from heaven has been 
to do what my Father wants done, and what He pre-eminently wants 
is that I shall take all who will let Him give them to me, keep them 
now, and ultimately introduce them into the civilization of the endless 
life (vv. 37-39)- I repeat it. This is God's will, that everyone who 
comes in contact with me and trusts himself unreservedly and obedi- 
ently to me shall now begin the endless life, shall pass through death 
unharmed, and ultimately be brought into the civilization of brotherly 
men" (v. 40). 

The Jews (religious leaders of the people and openly hostile to 
Jesus): "This man Jesus comes from a Nazareth family. We 
know His father and mother. What stuff is this that He is talking 
when He says that He comes down from heaven ?" (v. 42). 

Jesus : "Cease muttering criticisms of my words. You need not 
fear that people who follow me will be misled. You may rest assured 
that any who follow me have been led to do so by God Himself. No 
one will follow me who is not obediently disposed to God and in- 
fluenced by Him. I assure you that I shall not do harm to such, but 
shall bring them safely through the Messianic judgment and carry 
them on into the civilization of the endless life (vv. 43-44). The 
Scriptures predict a time when all men will obediently learn of God. 
I assure you that everyone who thus learns of God will be found fol- 
lowing me. When I speak of men learning of God, I do not mean 
to imply that anyone except myself has seen the Father. I have seen 
Him, and I assure you that everyone who yields himself obediently 
to me, as one who has come out from God, will be brought by me 
into that relation of love to God and men that constitutes the end- 
less life (vv. 45-47). I in my own person am the bread that sustains 
real life. Those who come to me will find in my friendship that which 



■222 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



will maintain in them the life of endless love to God and men (v. 48). 
Your fathers in the wilderness had no such bread of life. They sim- 
ply ate manna and died, just as you would if I did no more for you 
than to give you bread as I did yesterday (v. 49). The bread of 
which I am speaking is bread from heaven that sustains a life out of 
reach of death (v. 50). It is I myself who am this life-giving bread 
which comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, ap- 
propriates me in the fellowship of friendship, he will live the endless 
life. I and my friendship become like life-sustaining bread to him 
by virtue of yielding up this body of flesh for the life of the world" 
(v. 51). 

The Jews (in excited debate with each other) : "What sort of canni- 
balistic notion is this ? How can this fellow give us His flesh to eat ?" 
(v. 52). ( 

Jesus : "I assure you that unless you do eat my flesh, yes, and drink 
my blood too, you will not have the life of the endless kingdom in 
you, professional religious leaders though you are! (v. 53), It is he 
who eats my flesh and drinks my blood that has the endless life, and 
that will pass through the Messianic judgment into the civilization 
of the brotherly sons of God. My flesh is true food and my blood is 
true drink (vv. 54-55). What I mean by eating my flesh and drink- 
ing my blood is, partaking of me, myself, my spirit; entering into a 
friendship so deep and true that we shall live in each other (v. 56). 
Such relationship to me will involve the loving relationship to God 
and men that constitutes life, and you will therefore live through me, 
just as I, through closeness of relationship to the Father that sent me, 
gain my life (v. 57). It is with this thought in mind that I have called 
myself the ' bread from heaven.' It is not like that eaten by the fathers 
in the wilderness, or by you yesterday. That cannot keep from death; 
but this is of the sort that keeps a man in endless life" (v. 58). 

Representatives of the outer circle of Jesus' followers (speaking 
privately): "This is a weird, unintelligible address. It is imprac- 
ticable to try to follow His teaching" (v. 60). 

Jesus (hearing their muttered criticism): "Has this discourse been 
offensive, and has it tempted you to withdraw from my following ? I 
fear that you would be still more disturbed if you realized that I am not 
only not going to begin the Messianic era of material abundance upon 
the earth, as these crowds long to have me, but am even going entirely 
to withdraw my visible presence from the earth and return into the 
heavens (vv. 61-62). It is spiritual relationship to me, such as will 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 223 



then be possible to all the world, that gives life. My statements re- 
garding the eating of my flesh were figurative. There is no moral 
quality in the physical flesh. It is my words, received and acted upon, 
that will introduce into spiritual relationship and consequent life 
(v. 63). I know perfectly well, however, that there are some of you 
that have not really accepted me and my teaching (v. 64). I had 
such in mind when I said that no one who is not really in touch with 
God and open to instigation from Him would become a real disciple, 
though he might be superficially drawn to me through misunder- 
standing my real purpose" (v. 65). 

(Addressing the Twelve as He sees many leaving Him) : " Do 
you also wish to give up discipleship ?" (v. 67). 

Peter: "Sir, to whom should we go? You seem to us to speak 
words that teach us how to enter the endless life. We believe that 
you are God's holy Messiah" (vv. 68-69). 

Jesus : "Even among you, my chosen intimates, there is a devil!" 
(v. 70). 



ii\ Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVI.— 3>Sttfii, t&e delation of (0oU*fi (Srace aitil GLvutl), 

DttoiUCB t\)t ItlattOn (Continued) 

Third Day: Jesus Makes a Decisive Revelation of God's Grace 
and Truth in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles. John 
7:1-10:21 

1. Jesus' failure to utilize the Messianic enthusiasm of the Gali- 
leans (6: 14-15), together with the mystical sentimentalism of His 
discourse in the Capernaum synagogue, showed such apparent lack 
of practical force and plan as to alienate a large number of His fol- 
lowing (6 : 60, 66). It probably nearly cost Him the Twelve (6 : 67) 
and widened the breach between Himself and His brothers. At an 
earlier time His brothers had not been confident of His mental bal- 
ance (Mark 3:20-21), and now they are quite out of patience with 
Him. Their lack of patience came to a somewhat decisive expression 
as they saw Him making no preparation to go up to the Harvest Fes- 
tival, the Feast of Booths (Lev. 23 : 34), at Jerusalem. Read 7 : 1-9 
in the light of the following summary : Jesus' brothers Jo not believe 
in Him; He speaks of the honesty with which He has borne witness 
to the evil in society, and of the popular unbelief that has resulted (v. 7). 
The likelihood of Jesus' being arrested and prosecuted in Jerusalem 
(v. 1) is explained by 5: 16-18. "If" in v. 4 is equivalent to "since." 
Vv. 6-8 seem to indicate that Jesus had not heard the "Inner Voice" 
of the Father, without which He would not act (cf. 2 : 4). He asserts 
that it has not been lack of foresight that has kept Him from the great 
festival. His brothers are so in sympathy with current ideas that it 
makes no difference when they act, but His own actions are so sig- 
nificant as to make it important to do nothing except when His Father 
indicates the ripeness of time. 

2. After the family had started for Jerusalem the "Inner Voice" 
of the Father bade Jesus also go. In the middle of the joyful week 
He arrived and began to lecture boldly in the temple corridors. This 
action created a tremendous commotion. Read 7: 10-36, a summary 
of which is the following: At the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem 
Jesus speaks of His own sincerity (v. 18), and points out with unsparing 
frankness the inconsistency of His enemies (vv. 19, 24, 34); the result 
is varying degrees of belief (v. 31) and unbelief (vv. 20, 27, 30, 32, 35). 

Personal Thought: "If any man willeth to do His will, he shall 
know the teaching, whether it be of God or whether I speak from 
myself" (7:17) 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 225 



"Suppose that one of us, clear of all the vices, having a naturally 
active-minded, inquiring habit, occupied largely with thoughts of 
religion; never meaning to get away from the truth, but, as he thinks, 
to find it, only resolved to have a free mind, and not to allow himself 
to be carried by force or fear, or anything but real conviction — sup- 
pose that such a one, going on thus, year by year, reading, questioning, 
hearing all the while the Gospel in which he has been educated, some- 
times impressed by it, but relapsing shortly into greater doubt than 
before, finds his religious beliefs wearing out and vanishing, he knows 
not how, till, finally, he seems to really believe nothing. . . . Fi- 
nally, pacing his chamber some day, there comes up suddenly the 
question, 'Is there, then, no truth that I do believe? Yes, there is 
this one, now that I think of it : there is a distinction of right and wrong 
that I never doubted, and I see not how I can; I am even quite sure 
of it.' Then forthwith starts up the question, 'Have I, then, ever 
taken the principle of right for my law ? I have done right things 
as men speak; have I ever thrown my life out on the principle to be- 
come all it requires of me ? No, I have not, consciously I have not. 
Ah! then, here is something for me to do! No matter what becomes of 
my questions — nothing ought to become of them if I cannot take a 
first principle so inevitably true, and live in it.' The very suggestion 
seems to be a kind of revelation; it is even a relief to feel the convic- 
tion it brings. 'Here, then,' he says, 'will I begin. If there is a God, 
as I rather hope there is, and very dimly believe, he is a right God. 
If I have lost him in wrong, perhaps I shall find him in right. Will 
he not help me, or, perchance, even be discovered to me?' Now 
the decisive moment is come. He drops on his knees, and there he 
prays to the dim God, dimly felt, confessing the dimness for honesty's 
sake, and asking for help that he may begin a right life. He bows 
himself on it as he prays, choosing it to be henceforth his unalterable, 
eternal endeavor. 

"It is an awfully dark prayer, in the look of it; but the truest and 
best he can make, the better and the more true that he puts no orthodox 
colors on it; and the prayer and the vow are so profoundly meant that 
his soul is borne up into God's help, as it were, by some unseen chariot, 
and permitted to see the opening of heaven even sooner than he opens 
his eyes. . . . It is the morning, as it were, of a new eternity. 
After this all troublesome doubt of God's reality is gone, for he has 
found him! A being so profoundly felt must inevitably be!" — Horace 
Bushnell, Sermon on the Dissolving of Doubts. 



iiS Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVI— ^Tefittfii, tlje Ketoelatian of <&<&'& (©race anto Crnt&, 

T)Mtit6 t^e JQatiOH (Continued) 

Fourth Day: Jesus Makes a Divisive Revelation of God's Grace 
and Truth in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (con- 
tinued). John 7:1-10:21 

I. Consider again in detail 7:10-36: "Letters" (v. 15) refers to 
literature or rabbinical training. Jesus, unlike the rabbis, does not 
plume Himself upon His skill and success as a teacher or lecturer. 
He is a humble man, humbly speaking what God teaches Him (v. 16). 
This they will recognize if they are in sympathy with God (v. 17). 
His unselfishness is His recommendation (v. 18). Jesus then reverts 
to the situation in 5: 18, and says that the authorities have no right 
to kill Him as a breaker of Moses' law, for they themselves break 
Moses' law (v. 19). Some in the crowd do not seem to know that the 
authorities wish to kill Him, and attribute His thinking so to a de- 
moniacal hallucination (v. 20). Jesus argues, furthermore, that they 
themselves do the labor incident to the surgical operation of circum- 
cision on the Sabbath, and they ought not to blame Him for having 
done something of advantage to a man's entire system. They ought 
to be less superficial in their judgments (vv. 22-24). ln v > 25 some 
Jerusalem residents, who know the intentions of the authorities better 
than those in v. 20, appear. They know that the surmise that Jesus 
is the Messiah has been gaining ground, but they do not approve of 
it because the Messiah will come suddenly from some mysterious 
retreat, while Jesus is known to be a Nazareth man. Jesus hears of 
this objection and takes the subject up in His public lecturing. They 
do indeed know that He comes from Nazareth, but God is in Him 
and they would be in sympathy with Him if they were themselves 
in touch with God (vv. 26-29). This bold assertion of close relation- 
ship to God, though not an explicit assertion of Messiahship, brought 
the authorities almost to the point of arresting Jesus for blasphemy, 
but the author reverently notes that God's time had not yet come (v. 
30). See further evidence of the tenseness of the situation in vv. 31- 
32. The officers were probably given several days to accomplish their 
errand, and were allowed to exercise some discretion in the matter. 
Jesus in His public lectures said that He should soon return to the 
Father who sent Him and that those who were so out of touch with 
God would not be able to follow Him there (vv. 33-34). The authori- 
ties were perplexed by this statement, and suggested in derision that 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 227 



perhaps He whose chief following was among the disreputable and 
uneducated classes of His own race (cf. v. 48) would even take His 
chances among the despised foreigners (vv. 35-36). 

2. The last day of the happy festival week arrived and the officers 
had not yet arrested Jesus, One of the features of the week had 
been the daily bringing of water in a golden vessel from Siloam to 
the temple by a joyful procession. This ceremony was regarded as 
symbolical of the out-pouring of the Spirit, and was also suggestive 
of the water supplied to the people in the wilderness. The ceremony 
gave Jesus His text. Read 7 : 37-52 : On the last day of the feast 
Jesus makes specially friendly promises to the people (37-38) which 
result in belief (40-41, 46-50) and unbelief (44, 47). 

Jesus' point seems to be the tremendous assumption that personal 
association with Himself will satisfy the deepest needs and ambitions 
of the human spirit, and will make the human spirit a source of great 
streams of blessing to other persons. This was to be realized when 
the Spirit of the glorified Jesus should come to men. In v. 51 Nico- 
demus shows that he had been affected by his interview with Jesus 
(3: 1-15), and he is almost ready to declare himself an exception to 
the statement made in v. 48. His fellow Sanhedrists laugh him down 
with the derisive suggestion that he must be of uneducated Galilean 
extraction since he is so eager to claim a prophet for Galilee. 

3. 7 : 53-8 : 1 1 is quite commonly regarded as not originally a part 
of this Gospel. Read it rapidly, regarding it as a picture of Jesus 
dealing tenderly with a bad woman and plainly with her accusers. 

Personal Thought: "He that believeth on me, out of him shall flow 
rivers of living water." Blessings come not from things, but from 
persons, or from things only in so far as things are the expression 
of personal feeling. An ordinary human personality in association 
with the Spirit of Jesus Christ may be a channel of surprising good 
to others; the life of His Spirit will pulse out through him and revive 
disspirited men. Anyone may serve this purpose. It sometimes 
happens that even a person " who is not quite bright," but who is 
famous in the community for his unfailing good-will, quickens many 
a more gifted personality into renewed faith and hope and life. It 
is only necessary that a human spirit be intimately associated with 
the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 

The Bactrian was but a wild childish man, 
And could not write nor speak, but only loved. 

Browning, A Death in the Desert. 



228 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVI.— Stan*, tljc Reflation of (Sou's 45race antJ Crtttlj, 

SDtottJCBi tl)e jQattOtl (Continued) 

Fifth Day: Jesus Makes a Divisive Revelation of God's Grace 
and Truth in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (con- 
tinued). John 7:1-10:21 

It is said that each evening of the Festival Week one of the great 
open courts of the temple area was brilliantly lighted, perhaps to sug- 
gest the light of the pillar of fire which led the people through the 
wilderness. This circumstance, like the bringing of the water from 
Siloam, also gave Jesus a text. Run rapidly over the paragraph 
8 : 12-59 m trie light of the following summary : Jesus asserts His own 
honesty as a messenger of the Father (vv. 14, 16, 38, 45), and speaks 
plainly to His enemies of their evil disposition (vv. 19, 44); many believe 
(v. 30), though others are ready to kill Him in unbelief (v. 59). Take 
up the paragraph in detail. With sublime confidence in Himself Jesus 
does not hesitate to say that everyone who comes reverently and peni- 
tently into personal association with Himself will be so related to God 
as to have that "light," or sincere love, that constitutes real life. He 
is confident that His personality is large enough to secure this result 
for the whole world of men (v. 12). In saying this Jesus simply gave 
expression to His own marvelous personal consciousness. He felt 
this capacity in Himself. The Pharisees could have objected that 
such personal consciousness might be mistaken. Instead of this they 
went so far as to declare that it must be mistaken, or even wilfully 
false (v. 13). To them Jesus replied (1) that He was sure of Him- 
self (v. 14); and (2) that His Father had granted a corroboration 
of His personal consciousness (vv. 17-18). What this corroboration 
consisted in He does not here state, but in chapter 5 He stated that 
it was what His Father enabled Him to do. In v. 19 they apparently 
try to tempt Jesus into some explicit statement that shall serve as 
evidence in a formal prosecution for blasphemy. In reply Jesus says 
that since they do not know Him they do not know God. To "know" 
is to associate with, to be sympathetically acquainted with. His 
point is that since they do not feel attracted to Him, neither do they 
care for God, for He and the Father are alike. John remembers 
where Jesus was when these significant words were uttered (v. 20). 

From v. 21 on the dialogue becomes more rapid and bitter on the 
part of the priests and rabbis. He asserts again that He is going 
where they cannot follow Him, meaning to God. The reason they 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 229 



cannot go to God is their sin. During these critical days their sin 
has rapidly developed into such a fixity of malignant bitterness that 
Jesus says they will not repent, but will die in unabating bitterness of 
spirit (v. 21). The Jews sneeringly suggest that He may be medi- 
tating suicide. This would certainly remove Him to a place where 
they would not care to follow Him, and from which He came (v. 22). 
Jesus replies: "No, no, I am not from the lower regions where the 
suicide goes; I am from above. You are the ones that are from 
below. I do not belong to this sinful, perishing world, but you do. 
Unless you believe that I am from God, and attach yourselves to me, 
in the reverently obedient spirit due to God, I repeat, you will die in 
your sins" (vv. 23-24). In v. 25 the Jews try to draw from Him 
such a distinct avowal of Messiahship as will constitute ground for 
His arrest and conviction. Jesus' reply does not afford such an 
avowal. He says that He is what He has always represented, namely, 
a messenger and revelation of God (v. 25). 

What probably perplexed the Jews in all this conversation was the 
fact that Jesus did not make statements regarding His Messiahship 
in the current technical phraseology which they would at once have 
seized upon and used as ground for convicting Him of blasphemy. 
To the mind of Jesus, the great spiritual relationship that He sus- 
tained to God the Father was all-important, more comprehensive and 
more profound than He could express in the terms currently used to 
describe Messiahship. His mission was to reveal God to men in His 
own person, and to attach men in faith to that personal revelation. 
Naturally, therefore, much that He said about Himself was upon 
this profound theme, and could not certainly be taken as a definite, 
technical assertion of Messiahship. While it evidently seemed to 
His enemies blasphemous, it was not of a character that made a dis- 
tinct charge of false pretension to Messiahship quite possible. He 
proceeds in v. 26: "You are angry because I tell you that you will 
die in your sins, but your conduct is such as to afford ample ground 
for my judgment. I have many things to say of you in judgment. 
I know that they are truthful judgments, for they are inspired, as all 
I say and do is, by my Father. My remark a moment ago that you 
would die in your sins was God's judgment of you." 

Personal Thought: "I do always the things that are pleasing to 
Him" (v. 29). Jesus evidently felt Himself to be sinless. His sin- 
lessness is our comfort. What we want is to attach ourselves rest- 
fully and penitently to a great loving, sinless soul. 



230 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVI.— $tm8, tlje Kctelattoti of (Soil's (©race anU Crtttl), 

£)ttitUefi! tlje JQatiOtt (Continued) 

Sixth Day: Jesus Makes a Divisive Revelation of God's Grace 
and Truth in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (con- 
tinued). John 7:1-10:21 

Continue the detailed study, beginning at v. 31. Vv. 31-32 con- 
tain a remark made by Jesus to those who seemed favorably inclined 
to Him. Jesus warns these incipient disciples that it will cost some- 
thing to continue in discipleship (v. 31), but says that such continu- 
ance will give them an acquaintance with truth that will free them (v. 
32), that is, free them from bondage to the selfish habit which prevents 
the development of personality (v. 34). The hostile Jews catch up 
the conversation at this point and protest (v. ^). The idea of slavery 
suggests the familia, or household, and Jesus brings them back again 
to the unwelcome fact that He whom they hate regards them as slaves 
and Himself as the only one that can free them (vv. 35-36). He rec- 
ognizes that they are Abraham's descendants as far as fleshly descent 
goes, but they are so fundamentally out of sympathy with Abraham's 
ideas that they wish even to kill Him (v. 27)- He then says that He 
is like His Father and they are like their father (v. 38). This uncom- 
plimentary allusion to their father perplexes them, for He seems to 
have admitted that they are "Abraham's seed." Jesus proceeds to 
deny that they are Abraham's descendants really and spiritually, for 
their treatment of God's truth as Jesus brings it to them is utterly un- 
like the conduct of Abraham (vv. 39-40). Again He presses on with 
the perplexing statement that they are "like their father." Since 
He seems evidently not to mean that Abraham is their father, they go 
back to the Old Testament idea that God is the Father of the nation, 
and assert that their ancestors were not idolaters and faithless to the 
nation's marriage covenant with Jehovah (v. 41). Jesus replies that 
their attitude toward Himself proves conclusively that they have no 
such spiritual relationship to God as warrants their calling Him their 
Father (v. 42). They cannot speak the dialect of God's family. 
Jesus' words have no meaning to them because they have no sympathy 
with the message that He brings from His Father (v. 43). Then Jesus 
comes out explicitly with the statement that their spiritual affinities 
are with the devil and not with God. Their present conduct is dev- 
ilish. The devil appeared in the beginning in the Garden of Eden 
as a murderer and a liar. He lied to Eve (Gen. 3 : 4) and brought 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 231 



death upon man. He had no "grace and truth." In their present 
murderous attitude toward Jesus and His message, the priests and 
rabbis are like the devil and not like God (vv. 44-47). The Jews 
become so angry that they simply call hard names: "Samaritan!" 
"Demoniac!" (v. 48). Jesus replies calmly, with full self-control: 
"I am not a demoniac. I am honoring God by fearlessly delivering 
His message, and you are guilty of dishonoring one who is faithfully 
honoring God (v. 49). I am not nervously anxious about my own 
reputation; God who judges truly will look out for that (v. 50). Let 
me appeal to you once more — if you will accept my message you will not 
die in your sins as I warned you a while ago; you will live the eternal 
life" (v. 51). Read their reply to this appeal in vv. 52-53. Jesus 
speaks again: "I know that the statement is astounding. I do not 
make it boastingly, but because my Father bids me do so, the Father 
whom you claim as God (v. 54), but whom you evidently do not know. 
If I should fail through fear to report the relation to God which He 
has made me so clearly conscious of, I should be as false as you are 
(v. 55). Your father Abraham looked forward with great antici- 
pation to seeing the day which I have come to inaugurate. From 
his heavenly home he has seen it and rejoiced in it (v. 56). The Jews 
will not admit that Jesus came from heaven where He may have known 
Abraham, but persist in treating Him as a demoniac, and attribute 
to Him the crazy statement that He lived in Abraham's time (v. 57). 
Jesus quietly replies that He existed before Abraham was born (vv. 
58, cf. Ex. 3 : 14-15). At this piece of crazy blasphemy they begin to 
gather stones, but Jesus quietly slips away, perhaps with the help of 
the friendly element in the crowd (v. 59). 

At this point a preliminary climax of these terrible days of eccle- 
siastical hate is reached by the author in his narrative. Again answer 
the question : What was the fundamental difficulty with the priests 
and rabbis ? "If I say truth why do ye not believe me?" (v. 46). 

Personal Thought : "The truth shall make you free" (v. 32). The 
proper adjustment of one's life to the truth leaves him free to realize 
all the latent possibilities of his personality. Electrical force is a great 
mysterious fact or truth. When one adjusts himself to it he is free 
to enlarge the scope of his physical life and influence in a multitude 
of ways. God in Jesus Christ is the greatest fact or truth there is. 
It is only when rightly adjusted to this great fact that the personality 
is free to become its utmost. 



232 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVI.— f esus, X\)t Eetodation of Soli's (Srace anto Crtttft, 

iDtottiefi tl)e JQattOtl {Continued) 

Seventh Day: Jesus Makes a Divisive Revelation of God's Grace 
and Truth in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (con- 
tinued) John 9:1-10:21 

1. The rabbis have said that Jesus is a law-breaker. A law-breaker 
claiming to be intimate with God! Many think Him to be the Christ, 
but the priests and rabbis have decided to unsynagogue any man who 
expresses this conviction. To be excommunicated from the syna- 
gogue involved social ostracism and financial ruin, and was the worst 
fate that could befall a man who cared for respectability in a Jewish 
community. Apparently, immediately after the effort to stone Jesus 
(8:59), an incident occurred that J hn evidently regarded as bringing 
out into clear light the wicked inco sistenc of the ferusalem rabbis. 
Jesus and His disciples passed by a man born blind The rabbis 
regarded such a calamity as the cons quence of awful sin on the part 
of someone. Something so hideously wrong had been done that God 
had blighted him before his birth as one might b'ight an unblossomed 
bud by a touch. Jesus did not share this popular view of the case. 
He regarded the man who sat in darkness and shame as one in whom 
the tender love of God should shine out into the Jerusalem streets 
with a glory that would p netrate to the earth's end. 

Read John 9: 1-38 and select the adjectives that best characterize 
this man. Compare him with the men mentioned in 5:1 fF. 

2. Look at the details of the incident. The peril from which Jesus 
had just escaped (8:59) brought vividly before Him what He well 
knew, namely, that His visible earthly career would soon be closed 
by death. His working day was nearly ended (v. 4). The thought 
of daylight and approaching darkness naturally merges itself into 
the thought of this poor man's long and continuous night of blind- 
ness. Jesus will give this man light, and in this way symbolize the 
function that He has come to exercise spiritually upon the world (v. 5). 
The man's interviews with the Pharisees will be taken up to-morrow. 

Personal Thought: "That the works of God should be made mani- 
fest in Him" (v. 3). God utilizes suffering for the production of val- 
uable results. This man had a share with Jesus in revealing the love 
of God. His experience has removed the cataract from our eyes and 
helped to convince us that the love and light of God are around us in 
our twentieth century sin and sorrow. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 133 



Study XXVIL— festtfi, t&e delation of (SoU's (0race ana Crttti), 

H>il)tUe6 tI)C .Batiait (Continued) 

First Day: Jesus Makes a Divisive Revelation of God's Grace 
and Truth in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (con- 
tinued). John 9:1-10:21 

Continue the detailed study of the incident in 9: 1-38. Read once 
more vv. 9-34, noticing the scientific exactness, terseness, unreadiness to 
go beyond the facts, and fearlessness of the man's replies. State in 
your own words the argument by which he drove the rabbis into a cor- 
ner. In v. 24 the rabbis called upon him to attribute the cure directly 
to God and to see no significance in Jesus' relation to it. When the 
rabbis found themselves cornered they simply called hard names: they 
twitted the man with the moral scandal evident in his being born blind, 
and unsynagogued him (v. 34). Jesus heard that the man was now in 
some ways worse off than before. He had succeeded in begging a living 
while he was blind; now he had his sight, but was unsynagogued and 
could neither beg nor earn a living. His parents, too, were probably 
pitifully poor. The hard hatred of the rabbis had come down upon 
the defenseless man with tremendous force. Jesus hastened to him 
with a revelation whose tender directness is matched only by that made 
to another outcast (cf. 4 : 26). Read vv. 35-38. 

In v. 39 there is reported a remark which Jesus subsequently made 
about the episode as a whole. The remark is in His usual enigmatical, 
thought-provoking style. He had come into the world to show men their 
real condition. The result of Jesus' action had been this : A man who 
sat in physical blindness and was supposed to be connected with some 
awful moral scandal had been found to be a candid, open-minded 
man who received physical sight and spiritual vision that enabled him 
to discern the Christ; those who posed as sure-sighted spiritual guides 
of the people had been revealed as unwilling to recognize the real Christ- 
liness of Jesus. If they really had possessed no power to recognize 
Jesus they would not have been to blame for not seeing, but they did 
have power of moral insight and were therefore guilty. Candid men 
will surely be led on to see that Jesus is from God. Read w. 39-41. 
Read rapidly 10: 1-21 in preparation for further study to-morrow, and 
see if you can detect any connection between its thought and the inci- 
dent in chapter 9. 

Personal Thought : This man's sufficient comfort in his great calamity 
was the fact that the Messiah was his friend (vv. 35-37). 



234 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVII.— 3fMtw tl)c delation of <8aV& (Stutt anif HLxnti), 

£)ibtBe6 tf)e JfrattOft (Continued) 

Second Day: Jesus Makes a Divisive Revelation of God's Grace 
and Truth in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (con- 
cluded). John 10:1-21 

The paragraph 10:1-18 is best understood if it be broken up into 
three parts. Vv. 1-5 constitute a parable which the rabbis were too 
"blind" to understand (v. 6). Read vv. 1-6. The sheepfold is an en- 
closure shut in by stone walls. There is a gateway into the sheep yard. 
In order to enter, one must either go through this gateway or climb 
over the wall. In w. 1-5 there are two pictures: the sneaking sheep- 
stealer climbing over the wall (v. 1), and the shepherd coming in boldly 
through the gate (v. 2). The contrast here is between Jesus as the 
rabbis regard Him and Jesus as He really is. The rabbis represent 
Him as a law-breaker who is trying to steal the people away from 
the fold of Mosaic orthodoxy (7: 12, 47). But Jesus always empha- 
sizes the openness of His methods (cf. 18:20). The openness of His 
teaching and the recognition given Him by candid people, e. g. this 
blind man, are evidence that He is the shepherd. Read again vv. 1-5. 

Vv. 7-10 constitute another parable: Jesus, and not the rabbis, is 
the true and only way into the fold of God. The rabbis had shut 
the door against the blind man whom they unsynagogued, but Jesus 
had let him in, and Jesus alone is the door. The evidence of it is His 
loving good-will contrasted with the spiteful, malevolent hearts of the 
rabbis. They have the disposition of sheep-stealers. If life is the 
adaptation of an organism to its surroundings, show how Jesus gives His 
disciples abundant life (v. 10). 

In v. 11 begins another "parable": Jesus, and not the rabbis, is the 
real shepherd. In vv. 11-18 what does Jesus cite as evidence that He 
is the shepherd and that the rabbis are not shepherds ? How had this 
been evident in the recent episode of the blind man ? In vv. 16-18 Jesus 
looks out into the wide world and also reveals His consciousness of the 
fact that it will cost Him His life to save the sheep. 

Note the usual "division" in w. 19-21. 

Personal Thought : The rabbis cared only for themselves. They 
would never die for a poor man! Jesus stands to-day in the midst of the 
world's humble and despised like a shepherd in the midst of a huddling, 
frightened flock of sheep, ready to take them where there is food and 
life. Are your sympathies being trained into agreement with His ? " 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 23$ 



Study XXVII.— lesttis, tfje Kebelation a! (Sato's (Srace ants Ctuth, 

CHttfleS tj)C JQattOa (Continued) 

Third Day: Unbelief Further Developed in the Capital at the 
Feast of Dedication. John 10:22-39 

In the light of the following summary read 10 : 22-39 ,n or der to note 
the main facts and general effect of the episode: Three months later 
in Jerusalem Jesus asserts His own honesty and claim to belief as God's 
messenger, and charges His enemies with inconsistency ; this results in 
further unbelief (v. 39). It appears here that Jesus had made no formal 
declaration of Messiahship which could be used as evidence against 
Him in a formal prosecution. He had not set up the Messianic standard 
and called the nation about it in the usual fashion of pseudo-Messiahs. 
His constant insistence upon His intimate relation to God His Father 
seems not to have been considered by the rabbis as equivalent to such 
a declaration. It verged on blasphemy, to be sure, but definite evi- 
dence for a formal charge of blasphemy was more vague and elusive 
than a definite formal announcement of Messiahship would have been. 
Jesus replies (v. 25) that the deeds of love and power which His Father 
has enabled Him to perform have all along proven conclusively that He 
is from God. He takes up again the figure of the shepherd, which He 
used three months before. He says that the reason the rabbis are not 
drawn to Him is that they are not of God's flock (vv. 25-27). In vv. 28- 
29 He speaks of someone trying to "snatch" some of His sheep away 
from God. This may well refer to the attacks that the rabbis had been 
making upon the unsynagogued blind man (9 : 34) during the past three 
months. The poor man had been telling Jesus the story of his troubles. 
The Father who made Jesus the "shepherd" had so identified Jesus 
with Himself that Almighty Power is pledged to the protection of the 
sheep (vv. 29-30). In v. 33 Jesus meets them on their own plane and 
maintains that calling Himself the Son of God is not* sufficient ground 
for proceeding against Him as a blasphemer, for the Scripture itself ap- 
plies the title to judges. Compare Ps. 82 : 6, a psalm written with Ex. 
21 : 6, 22:7-9 (R- V. margin) in mind. State in your own language 
once more the argument by which Jesus justified Himself for expect- 
ing the reverent attention of the nation. 

Personal Thought : "I and the Father are one." It is the simple fact 
of experience that in Jesus Christ we find God the Father. Our highest 
conception of God contains nothing that is not realized for us in Jesus 
Christ. 



236 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVIL— ^Testis, tljc Ketoelation a! (0oU'g (55race anto CrutJ), 

SDttHfcefi tlje Jftatitm {Continued) 

FOURTH Day: After a Brief Visit to the Scenes of His Earliest 
Ministry, Jesus Does a Wonderful Deed in a Suburb of the 
Capital. John 10:40-11:53 

1. Read 10:40-42. Jesus went back to the place where He had met 
His friend, John the Baptist, now dead, where He had first met His dis- 
ciples, and where their first Messianic enthusiasm had been experienced. 
Now He is almost an outlaw at the capital ! His spirit is refreshed by 
meeting believers in this quiet retreat. 

2. Jesus was soon summoned from this quiet retreat, and in a suburb 
of Jerusalem there occurred the most striking revelation of Messianic 
friendliness that had yet been made. Jesus goes back to Jerusalem at 
the risk of His life to comfort two sisters who are grieving over the death 
of their brother. He makes also the supreme exhibition of Messianic 
power, for He follows His friend down into the dark pit of death and 
draws him back. John as usual shows that this wonderful revelation 
of God's grace is followed by a decisive culmination of unbelief on the 
part of the priests and rabbis. Read 11 : 1-53 in the light of the follow- 
ing summary, making your imagination produce the picture described 
in each verse, and noting every trait in the character of Jesus that ap- 
pears : "Jesus goes fearlessly back to 'Jerusalem and with great compas- 
sion (v. 35) brings His friend Lazarus back to life ; He proves that 
belief in Himself secures life (v. 25); as a result many believe (v. 45), but 
the unbelieving priests and rabbis formally decide to kill Him (vv. 47-53). 

3. Take up the narrative in detail. V. 2 indicates that this person 
was a well-known character among those for whom this Gospel is being 
prepared. As soon as Jesus heard the news He knew from His Father 
that there was no occasion for solicitude (v. 4). The Inner Voice bade 
Him do nothing for two days after the urgent message reached Him (vv. 
5-6). Jesus knew that Lazarus was dead (vv. n-14). He also knew 
that He was to raise Him from the dead. This knowledge came to 
Him in answer to prayer (v. 41). In vv. 9-10 Jesus says that the Inner 
Voice of His Father's command, which shines on His path and makes it 
light as day, shows Him that the visit to Jerusalem is not a pitfall. 

Personal Thought : Read v. 16. Thomas is slow of apprehension, 
but sturdy in affection. Even though Jesus' vision of an ideal civiliza- 
tion were a vain one, there could be nothing better than going down to 
defeat with Him in the effort to realize it. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 237 



Study XXVII.— STesttfi, tlje Kebelation 0! (55oJTs (Svatt an& Crutl), 

2Dii)iKefi tl)e JftattOll (Continued) 

Fifth Day: Jesus' Wonderful Deed in the Suburb of Jerusalem 

(concluded). John 11:1-53 

Is there any evidence in w. 17-30 that anyone desired not to have 
Jesus' enemies in Jerusalem know that He was near ? Martha seemed 
to feel that Jesus could do something even then (v. 22), but did not 
have in mind a restoration to life (vv. 24, 39). In w. 25-26 Jesus 
asserts His power to give an enduring life in the Messianic Kingdom to 
those who attach themselves in faith to Him. Wherever He is, there 
resurrection power is present. This much Martha believed, and it did 
her good to emphasize what she believed (vv. 26-27). When Mary came 
to Jesus she broke out into the oriental wail, and the friends from the 
city joined her in it (v. 33). Jesus was profoundly moved (v. 33) and 
the tears flowed silently down His cheeks (v. 35). He wished to go to 
the grave and do quickly what He had come to do (v. 34). Why was 
Jesus so profoundly moved, since He knew that Lazarus would soon 
be restored ? Jesus wished to show that it was His Father who enabled 
Him to shout into the burial chamber and call the dead friend forth 
(vv. 41-43). 

The priests and rabbis felt that this last great deed of Jesus would 
convince the people of His Messiahship and result in an insurrection. 
The Romans would put down an insurrection, and they themselves, 
since they would be shown unable to control the people, would lose 
their standing. In this emergency the high priest spoke out like the 
machine politician that He was (vv. 49-50). John saw in his words a 
deeper meaning (w. 51-52). The fundamental reason why both priests 
and rabbis wished to kill Jesus was that He interfered with the realiza- 
tion of their selfish ambitions. They were no more selfish than other 
men in other days who sacrifice whatever comes between them and the 
gratification of their personal ambition. Only in this case it happened 
to be the Christ of God that stood in their way. 

Personal Thought : Highly developed selfishness makes a man blind. 
He will not see things as they are. He will not see the value of life and 
friends; he will not see anything attractive in Jesus Christ. There- 
fore, as a man values his real life and power of appreciation of all things 
high and holy, he must fight selfishness in himself. He must call upon 
Jesus Christ to save him from the daily life of developing selfishness 
and the inevitable misery that it entails. 



i^S Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVII.— 3Testt£f, t&e Eetoelatton of (Boil's (Brace anfc Crutb, 

Dttitiefi tljC jQattnn (Continued) 

Sixth Day: Jesus Goes to Jerusalem for the Last Feast. John 
11:54-12:35 

1. After the bringing back of Lazarus, Jesus slipped quietly away 
from the Jerusalem authorities. Read 11 : 54-57 : Quiet waiting in 
Ephraim with the believers (v. 54) for the final exhibition of unbelief 
(v. 57). Read 12 : I-II : In spite of the purpose of the Sanhedrin to kill 
"Jesus, He comes early to the feast and is given a banquet by the Bethany 
friends; Jesus and Lazarus attract the common people; therefore the un- 
believing priests and rabbis plan to kill Lazarus also. Jesus is still in the 
home. His Messiahship, which began in personal friendships (1 : 35-57), 
in a wedding (2: 1-1 1), and has just manifested itself wonderfully at a 
funeral (chap. 11), is still a matter of the home, of social life and indi- 
vidual joys and griefs, a manifestation of the friendliness of God in the 
commonplace relationships of daily life rather than in a political office 
and busy interviews with "important persons." 

2. Read 12 : 12-43 : Jesus enters the city with the believers (w. 12-19); 
the susceptible Greeks appear (v. 20), and He speaks with great gracious- 
ness of His readiness to suffer and of His desire to have His friends with 
Him in glory (v. 26); but the leaders will not believe (w. 36-40). 

The Greeks (v. 20) were probably foreigners who in their home 
cities were accustomed to attend the Jewish synagogue and to worship 
Jehovah without becoming Jewish proselytes (cf. Acts 10:1-3; Luke 
7 : 2-10). They probably came from Philip's town. When Jesus heard 
that these representatives of the great Gentile world wished to have an 
interview with Him, His spirit kindled (v. 23). Perhaps some such 
vision as that in Rev. 7 : 9-10 passed before His mind. He saw the 
evil world dominated by the evil one, transformed into a humanity gath- 
ered about Himself (w. 31-32). Read carefully w. 24-33, m which 
Jesus states that this vision can be realized only through His death. 
Jesus knew that He could draw all men to His friendship only through 
self-denial. If He refused to»deny Himself and die, His eternity would 
be a lonely one (v. 24). This is as true of His disciples as of Himself 
(w. 25-26). In w. 25-36 He makes His final appeal, and then leaves 
for a day or two of quiet before the end. 

Personal Thought : Jesus hungered for friendship. His conception 
of heaven was to be in the midst of His friends, and His conception of 
hell to be left "alone" (v. 24). 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 1^9 



Study XXVIL— % esus, tl>e Kfbelattan of (Bail's (Brace anfc Ctuth, 
^DitiiUee the Nation {Concluded) 

Seventh Day: The Doom of the Unbelieving Element in the 
Nation. John 12:36-50 

1. Jesus' last words to the nation were words of warning. They 
still had a chance to believe in Him. If they rejected this chance 
they would pass out into the darkness with no sense of purpose or 
destination. Read again vv. 35-36. The result of Jesus' long reve- 
lation of God's grace and truth to the national leaders is described 
in vv. 37-43. Their punishment for rejecting Jesus was to be left 
in a state which was the natural consequence of their action. John 
has already made it evident that the people favored Jesus, and that 
it was the ecclesiastical "machine" that determined to kill Him. Now 
He notes that many of the priests and rabbis were convinced that 
Jesus was from God, but did not dare to go against the "machine" 
(vv. 42-43)- 

2. In vv. 44-50 John summarizes the gist of the message to the 
nation. In v. 36 Jesus left the temple, and vv. 44-50 are therefore 
not thought of as spoken at any particular time. They are rather 
His long cry (v. 44) to the nation during His entire ministry. Read 
these verses and make a list in your own words of the principal state- 
ments in them. 

Personal Thought: "His commandment is life eternal" (v. 50). 
God is not bent upon making men do some hard thing just for the 
sake of seeing them do it. His commandments are like the orders of 
a ship's captain in time of peril at sea. They mean life to the men 
who obey them. Or they are like a father's directions to his children 
in great danger. They throb with the father's eager and loving de- 
sire to see his children escape trouble. 



240 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVIIL— 3J>snes ;Ptafces an Sinreserbeti Kenclattan ot 
<3vztt anU Cnttl) ^rtBatelp to pis SDisctpIcs, WUtfy Ee- 
suits in belief 

First Day: Jesus Shows His Disciples Love Expressing Itself in 
Common Service. John 13:1-20 

In chapters 13-17 Jesus is shut in with the disciples and speaks 
with an unreserve that has not been possible in His words to mis- 
cellaneous audiences. His love is so deep and tender that it can 
content itself with nothing less than some almost extravagant ex- 
pression of itself, like the intense love of the mother of a sick child, 
who is eager to do even the most menial service. The love glorifies 
the act which might otherwise seem servile or unbecoming. Read 
13: 1-20: Jesus, in the full consciousness of His mission to manifest 
the Father (v. 3), is impelled by His strong friendliness (v. 1) to do a 
surprising service for His disciples; He also speaks frankly about 
treachery in the inner circle, and tries to forestall the effect of it on their 
belief in Him (v. 19). The disciples stared as they saw Jesus laying 
aside His outer garment (v. 4) for this humble service. Peter objected, 
but Jesus promised to explain in a few moments (v. 7), and told him 
that he would have no part in the Messianic Kingdom if the service 
were not accepted (v. 8). After the bath which ceremonially pre- 
pared one to eat the Passover Supper, it was necessary only to wash 
the feet which might have touched some contaminating substance on 
the way to the supper (v. 10). There is a play on the word "clean." 
One man in the group was not spiritually cleansed for the supper 
(v. II). 

After Jesus had gone around the group with basin and towel, He 
explained His action (vv. 12-17) as He had promised to do (v. 7). 
What did He intend His action to teach the disciples ? 

They are not to let the fact that one of their number is a traitor 
destroy their self-respect or mutual confidence (v. 20). The traitor 
is not really one of them (v. 18). 

Personal Thought : "If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do 
them" (v. 17). "Christian service" in Jesus' thought is a very sim- 
ple thing. It springs from love and consists in a readiness to do 
whatever commonplace kindness the intercourse of daily life makes 
possible. He who cultivates this spirit knows what true "blessed- 
ness" is. The deep joy of Jesus Himself wells up in His heart. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 241 



Study XXVIII.— ^Tesm* Jlaues an GHnreserbefc Kclielatinn of 
<3vate anti Crutl) fljritoatelp to pis ^tsctples, WW\> Ee- 
salts in belief 

Second Day: Jesus Sends Away the Traitor and Begins His 
Most Confidential Revelation of Grace and Truth. John 13: 
21-38 

Read John 13:21-38: The spirit of Jesus is seriously disturbed by 
the presence of the traitor in the inner circle (v. 21 ), and after the traitor 
is sent from the room (v. 27), Jesus emphasizes the fact that such friend- 
liness towards each other as He has felt for them is to be the essential 
characteristic of discipleship (vv. 34-35) ; He speaks frankly to Peter 
about his impending disloyalty (vv. 36-38). According to vv. 23-26, 
Peter and the one whom Jesus loved knew who the traitor was. Judas 
evidently sat near Jesus, perhaps next to Him, and overheard enough 
to know that He was being designated as the traitor. Something 
in the action of Jesus brought Judas to the full determination, and 
Jesus saw that the only thing now to wish for was that the terrible 
experience be over as soon as possible (v. 27). If the "feast" in v. 
29 is the Passover Supper, then John's Gospel represents Jesus to 
have been arrested the night before the Passover and to have been 
crucified on the day in the evening of which the Passover was eaten. 
Such a representation is different from that in the Synoptic Gospels, 
which represent Jesus to have been arrested after having eaten the 
Passover Supper with His disciples. It is maintained that the "feast" 
here in v. 29 refers to a feast regularly observed the day after the Pass- 
over Supper. After Judas had gone out into the night, which John 
seems to feel was also the night of his soul (v. 30), Jesus spoke with 
greater freedom. He spoke first of his own exaltation that was imme- 
diately at hand (vv. 31-33). The long faithful effort to reveal God 
in terms of human life and death was almost ended. Although the 
priests and rabbis had contemptuously rejected His revelation, God 
was about to vindicate Him by taking Him to Himself. 

Personal Thought : Read vv. 34-35. Jesus' fundamental ambi- 
tion for His disciples was that they might reproduce in their lives His 
most prominent characteristics. His great Messianic work consisted 
in so living in the commonplace relationships of life as to reveal fully 
the love of the unseen Father. He is concerned about only one thing, 
namely, that His disciples shall do the same thing. 



242 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVI 1 1. —gestae; JHanee; an SHnregerbeto Keoelation of 
(Svuct an* Crutl) flrinatelp to t>is Dtactples, WHt\> He- 
gultfi in belief 

Third Day: The Confidential Revelation. John 14 

1. Before reading any further on this page, read chapter 14 rapidly 
through and make up your mind what its main drift is. 

2. Compare the following summary with the result of your own 
reading: Jesus appeals to the inner circle to believe in Him as a 
revelation of God (vv. I, 6-1 1), urging as motives the achievements 
through prayer that will be possible to them (vv. II-14), the endless 
association with the holy, eternal, and helpful Spirit of God that will be 
theirs (vv. 16-24), an ^ the peace that He will leave with them (v. 26). 

Begin a closer survey of the chapter: "Do not be worried by what I 
have said (13:33, 36-37) about going away. You believe in God as 
an abiding, though unseen, fact; have the same confidence in me (v. 1). 
My going away is in your interest, for I am going away to provide a 
future in which you and I shall work endlessly together" (vv. 2-3). 
The figure in v. 2 seems to be that of a homestead with rooms enough 
for all the children. Jesus' love for these men is so strong that He 
cannot do without them. Read again 13:1. Vv. 4-6 bring out the 
perplexity of the disciples. The idea of the Messiah "going to His 
Father," seemed to them before the event an unintelligible conception. 
What it is for us to "come to the Father" is best understood by thinking 
of other personal relationships. When we say that we cannot "get 
at a person" we mean that he will not share with us the great fun- 
damental purposes and ambitions of his life. The "way" to God is 
Jesus Christ, because in Jesus Christ's own person God is ready to 
share with us His own purposes and ambitions. Spiritual truth does 
not consist in statements, but in the attitude of a person. Jesus 
Christ's personality is exactly what it ought to be; He is absolutely 
"the truth." "Life" also consists in right relations to personal en- 
vironment. Jesus Christ's relation to God and man is exactly what 
it ought to be. He is therefore "the life." 

Personal Thought: "No one cometh unto the Father but by me" 
(v. 6). This is not an arbitrary statement. Jesus Christ is God at 
His clearest in terms of human personality. In the nature of the 
case, therefore, no human being can get at God in any adequate way 
except through Jesus Christ. 



'Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 243 



Study XXVIII.— STestts iflaaes an GEnreeetneU Eenelatton of 
(Bvutt anU CrtttJ) fjnuatclj) to pin disciples, Wfrtb K* 
gults in belief 

FOURTH Day: The Confidential Revelation (continued). John 14 

In v. 8 Philip asks for some theophany like that in Ex. 33:18-23. 
Jesus' reply is that His own character expressing itself in daily life is a 
perfect theophany. His words and deeds of absolutely pure love con- 
stitute Him a flawless expression of the unseen God. God is not 
simply like Jesus, but is in Him (vv. 9-10). Jesus feels in His own 
personal consciousness that this is so. He would be glad to have His 
disciples feel sufficient confidence in Him to believe His simple report 
of His own personal consciousness, but if this is too hard for them, let 
them be convinced by the character of His deeds of love and power 
(v. 11). "Anyone who will believe in me will be able to accomplish 
through prayer greater results than I have ever achieved" (vv. 12-15). 
This is because Jesus so loves His disciples. He takes as great delight 
in their accomplishments as in His own, and will share His own achieve- 
ments with them. "If you yield me a love so sincere as to involve 
obedience, I will have the Father send you a Great Helper, who will 
help you as I myself have been doing, and who will never leave you" 
(vv. 15-17). The Greek word for "Comforter" is better translated 
"Helper" (margin R. V.). He is called not only the Helper, but also 
the "Spirit of Truth"; that is, His characteristics are kindness and 
honesty, "grace and truth." "After I disappear I shall keep on 
loving you just the same, and shall be able to make you feel it. I 
shall still continue to bring God to you (vv. 18-24). The Helper 
who continues my work will keep my teachings fresh in your minds 
(vv. 25-26). You have often wondered at my unruffled peace of mind 
in spite of all the hatred that I have experienced. This peace is my 
legacy to you. It is better than the legacies that men of the world 
leave behind them! (v. 27). Now do not be anxious because I am to 
leave you. Your love for me should lead you to congratulate me, for 
it is an honor to be called back to the Father. My reason for speak- 
ing to you of it has not been to alarm you, but to forestall anxiety (vv. 
28-29). My words must be few for I have a great temptation to en- 
dure. It is the Father's arrangement and will prove to the world that 
I really do love the Father and will obey Him at any cost" (v. 31), 

Personal Thought ; Have you claimed your legacy of peace? 



244 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVIIL— ^estts Jftafceei an SEnteserfcefc Kenelatton of 
<8vm an* Crtttl) $)rtoatcl$> to fyi& disciples, W\)it\> Be- 
suits in belief 

Fifth Day: The Confidential Revelation (continued). John 15 

1. When Tesus' conversation reached the end of chapter 14 it was 
interrupted by the departure of the company from the room in which 
they had gathered. The sight of a vine may have suggested the 
figure in 15:1, but Israel was often spoken of by the prophets as 
God's vine. Read chapters 15 and 16 rapidly and before reading 
further on this page determine their main drift. 

2. Now compare the result of your reading with the following 
summary: Jesus emphasizes the intimate personal relationship that 
will exist between Him and those who believe in Him (15: 1-8); He 
tells them how much He loves them (15:9-16)), and tenderly warns 
them that they will have to suffer for His sake, but promises them glori- 
ous days afterwards (15:18-16:12); the clouds break away and the 
disciples finally respond heartily that they believe (16:29-30). 

3. Take up chapter 15 in detail. "I shall be to you like a vine whose 
branches are so tended by God Himself as to produce the largest pos- 
sible fruitage of loving life" (vv. 1-8). These words are not a threat, 
but a promise. In calling Himself the "genuine" vine (v. 1), He 
implies that He and those who identify themselves with Him are the 
real nation concerning which God's prophets have spoken. God 
wishes to secure the largest possible output of love, and so "cleans" 
the vine of all superfluous growth (v. 2). The men to whom Jesus is 
speaking are all "clean" for fruit-bearing. His teaching and per- 
sonal influence have made them so (v. 3). The point to be scrupu- 
lously guarded is their union of spirit with Him (vv. 4-6). If this be so 
close that they may be said fairly to live in Him, and to give immediate 
acceptance to every message that comes from Him, they will be con- 
stantly breathing out prayerful aspirations that will find realization 
(v. 7). If they yield large fruitage of love and prayerful achievement, 
God will be made glorious in the sight of men and they will accom- 
plish the true work of disciples (v. 8). 

Personal Thought : This unfailing and abundant good-will is to 
be exercised towards those who are uncongenial and in situations 
that are trying. There is absolutely no way to do this except by 
keeping in constant touch with the great heart of Jesus Christ. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 245 



Study XXVIII.— testis ^afees an SEmmrbetj Reflation of 
(Bxutt anU Cttttf) fJubatelp to fyin disciples, Wl>itl) Ee- 
fiolts in belief 

Sixth Day: The Confidential Revelation (continued). John 15 

In v. 9 Jesus breaks out in unrestrained tenderness. "God," He 
says, "does not love me more than I love you! Rest trustfully in my 
love by doing all my bidding, just as I have rested in my Father's 
love by doing all He bade me (vv. 9-10). My motive in saying these 
things to you is my desire to see you as perfectly happy as I am (v. 11). 
This happiness can be realized only in such love for each other as 
you have seen me feel for you (v. 12). My love for you is soon to be 
put to the extreme test (v. 13). I am dying for you as a man dies for 
his friends. You must be real friends to me and show that friend- 
ship by loving each other as I have loved you (v. 14). You and I have 
been thought of as master and servants, but my heart bids me give 
you a higher title, and that is " Friends." I have not treated you as 
servants; I have shared with you as with friends all the secret things 
that God has revealed to me (v. 15). I loved you before you began 
to love me, and I invited you to be with me in the close relation 
of discipleship that you might bear the rich fruitage of an invincible 
and unfailing life of love so great that God can safely trust you to use 
in love anything that you care to ask Him for (v. 16). I must say it 
to you again : my commandment is simply that you love each other (v. 
17). You must have this invincible love in the face of a world of hate. 
Your life will be so incomprehensible to the world's hate that you will 
suffer as you have seen me suffer at the hands of the priests and rabbis 
(vv. 18-20). The trouble with the world is that it is not acquainted 
with God (v. 21). The priests and rabbis would have gone on as 
usual with ritual and theology, unaware of their real antipathy to 
God, if I had not brought God to their very doors in my own per- 
sonality (vv. 22-24). The Scripture predicted their hatred (v. 25). 
When the Great Helper, the Spirit of Truth, comes He will continue my 
insistence that I am from God, and you who have known me so long 
must join Him in this insistence" (v. 27). 

Personal Thought : " Bear ye also witness" (v. 27). Our Lord has 
left us an unfinished work. In fellowship with the strong Spirit of 
God we are to report that we have found Jesus to be the one who 
brings us to the Father. 



246 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXVIII.— Sftma Jftaues an SEnteserBeto Ketoelation of 
<25racc an* CnttI) fljrtoatelp to $>is disciples, W\M JSe- 
suits in belief 

Seventh Day: The Confidential Revelation (continued). John 16 

Begin at 16: I, and compare the text carefully with the paraphrase: 
"I am telling you beforehand how much trouble you will have so that 
you may not be surprised by it and led to give up (vv. 1-2). The expla- 
nation of men's hatred of you is that they do not comprehend God and 
myself (v. 3). I did not tell you of this trouble to come when you gath- 
ered about me in the first flush of your Messianic enthusiasm, because I 
was with you and could help you to bear it as it began to come (v. 4); 
but now I am to leave you and return to Him who sent me. You 
scarcely dare to ask me the question that is uppermost in your minds, 
but I know that your hearts are sad (vv. 5-6). I want you to feel sure 
that it is a good thing for you to have me go. The Great Helper will 
not come to you if I stay here in the flesh with you (v. 7). Great 
things will be done when He comes to you. He will invade the world 
of hate that persecutes us and make sin, righteousness, and judgment 
great realities to it. He will show the world the sin of failing to accept 
me as the revelation of God; He will make the world see that I am 
not the wicked one the rabbis declare me to be, but a righteous one 
whom God has taken to Himself. He will make men feel the force 
of judgment as they see the proud spirit of the world increasingly 
condemned (vv. 8-1 1). 

I have it in my heart to say many things to you that you are not 
yet equal to hearing. However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, 
He will go on with the revelation; for He, like myself, will speak 
what He hears from the Father, and He will lead you into the truths 
of the New Order (vv. 12-13). He will make me appear glorious, for 
He will take my great ideas and teach them to you. I say my ideas, 
for all the ideas that lie in the mind of God are mine (vv. 14-15). 

Write a paragraph that shall sum up the thought of 16-24. 

Personal Thought : "Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may 
be full." God is a father who wishes to make His children glad by 
giving them things. He will not spoil His children by giving them 
too many things, or the wrong kind of things. When they have grown 
into perfect sympathy with Jesus Christ they are not likely to want 
what they would better not have. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 247 



Study XXIX.— ^Testis flakes an Sanresernefc Eetoelatioti of 
(55race anil Crtitl) pritoatelp to pis ^Disciples, W\>\t\ &e- 

SUltS til belief {Continued) 

First Day: The Confidential Revelation (continued). John 16: 
25-17:26 

1. In continuance of the detailed study read again 16: 25-33. Jesus 
anticipates a time when His disciples will be better able to compre- 
hend the truths which mean so much to Him than they now are (v. 25). 
They will then see that He is not between them and the Father, but 
that in Him the Father has come directly to them in love (vv. 26-27). 
After Jesus' reiteration of His great message (v. 28), the clouds seem 
to be breaking away from the disciples' outlook and they confess to 
a better understanding of Him. It is only a partial clearing away, 
however. His half apology for speaking to them in parables (v. 25) 
makes them wish to seem to have a clearer understanding of His 
words than they really have (v. 29). Anyway, they do not wish Him 
to think that they doubt either His knowledge or His ability to tell 
what He knows so clearly as to make questions unnecessary (v. 30). 
Jesus recognizes the incompleteness of their understanding, and with 
characteristic sincerity warns them that they will soon abandon Him 
(vv. 31-32). However, there is a better time to come, when their 
perplexed and unstable faith will be replaced by a peaceful trust in 
Him. Even the world's persecution, which for a few hours will scare 
them away from Him, will not permanently frighten them. They will 
soon see Him overcome the worst that the world can do, and then they 
will have everlasting good cheer (v. ^). 

2. As Jesus' spirit kindled with strong love for His disciples, He 
finally lifted them up in prayer and laid them on the heart of the In- 
finite Father. Read chapter 17 through rapidly and make a list of 
the principal things for which Jesus prayed. What did He want for 
Himself? What did He want for His disciples? 

Personal Thought : "Ye shall be scattered every man to His own 
and shall leave me alone" (16 : 32). Every man to his own and Jesus 
left alone ! It is a situation that repeats itself. Many a man looks 
only to his business or pleasure, and leaves Jesus alone in His great 
effort to meet the world's needs. The situation would be pathetic 
if it were not for the words that follow: "And yet I am not alone." 
The Almighty Father is with Him, and ultimately it will be the men 
who went busily about their own selfish concerns that are alone. 



248 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXIX.— ^tms Jftakes an SSnreserneo Eeuelatton at 
(Brace an* Crutl) fjrtoatclp to pie Rumples, WW^ Ke= 

SttltS tn belief {Continued) 
Second Day: The Confidential Revelation (continued). John 17 

Look in detail at the great prayer. The sense of crisis was strong 
in the mind of Jesus, and He wished God to help Him so gloriously 
through the crisis that He might continue to be a glorious revelation 
of God and so make God glorious in the eyes of men (v. 1). His 
whole mission had been to show men in His own person the glorious 
God of grace and truth, and so attach them to Himself, the manifesta- 
tion of God, as to give them enduring life. He must not fafl to do 
this in the final crisis. Read carefully vv. 1-3. In vv. 4-6 Jesus re- 
ports the accomplishment of His errand. He has made God's " name," 
that is, His personal character, known to men. And now He longs 
for the resumption of the state in which He existed before the errand 
to the earth was undertaken, before ever there was any earth with its 
burden of sin and sufFering to be transformed into the scene of the 
civilization of the endless life. 

Jesus considers those who have recognized Him as the revelation 
of God to be in especially sympathetic relation to God Himself. 
They were willingly the property of God, and were entrusted by God 
to Jesus. Read w. 6-8. Jesus has them in charge and is in a sense 
responsible for them. Therefore He begins in v. 9 to pray earnestly 
for them. He feels that in a sense His reputation rests with them. 
What He can succeed in making of them will give Him His reputation 
in the world. That is, He is "glorified in them" (v. 10). Note in 
v. n the thing that He is chiefly concerned about. It is that the 
disciples may be kept in vital association with God, whom Jesus has 
brought to them. If this can be, they will be harmoniously related 
to each other (v. 11). Jesus has kept them in life, except one, but 
He does not feel that He is responsible for the loss of this one (v. 12). 
The reason for His praying in their presence is that they may so realize 
the situation as to feel the deep joy that Jesus Himself experiences 
(v. 13). What was there in the situation that occasioned Jesus' joy ? 

Personal Thought : "Thou gavest them to me." Think of yourself 
as the gift of God to Jesus Christ. You are not simply committed to 
Him by your own weak resolution, but behind your resolution is the 
will of God. Jesus Christ is to do with you and for you whatever 
His unspeakable love wills. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 249 



Study XXIX.— ^ems JHafces aa GHnrrscrtoefl KeMatton of 
(Bvact an5 Crtttl) fjribatdp to f)t6 T)istiplt6, WW^ Etc* 

6Ult6 tn ^Clief {Concluded) 
Third Day: The Confidential Revelation (concluded). John 17 

Read carefully vv. 14-19. Jesus prays that this company of men 
may be kept free from the spirit of selfishness that prevails in the world 
(v. 15). They are to be "sanctified;" that is, set apart as sacred to 
God's uses in the world, just as Jesus Himself has been. That which 
secures this result is their loyal acceptance of the truth in God's mes- 
sage to them (vv. 17-18). Jesus openly, in the sight of His disciples, 
sets Himself apart as sacred to God's uses, as one who always accepts 
God's messages of truth (cf. 8 : 29), in order that the disciples may be 
induced by His example to do the same (v. 19). In v. 20 He begins 
to pray for the church to be. The sight of a body of men conspicuous 
for their unfailing love to each other will seem to the world a phe- 
nomenon that can be accounted for only on the supposition that He 
whose name they bear came forth from God, and that He and they 
are in vital connection with God (vv. 20-23). In v. 24 Jesus prays 
that He may never be separated from His friends. He wishes to 
share the glory of the other world with them, just as He has always 
shared everything with them in this world. Jesus has revealed God 
to them, and He will reveal Him still further in His death and resur- 
rection (vv. 25-26a). His great final petition is that the disciples 
may be an incarnation of the love of God, and that in them He may 
find continued expression for Himself (v. 26b). 

Read once more the entire chapter, imagining yourself to be a mem- 
ber of the listening group, and remember that as Jesus felt when He 
spoke these words, so He feels now. As He prayed for these men, so 
He prays for us now. 

Personal Thought: "That the love wherewith thou lovedst me 
may be in them, and I in them." The mighty love of God for His 
well-beloved Son, a love that is older than the stars and stronger than 
all passion, is to well up in the heart of the disciple of Jesus Christ. It 
will not overpower him and destroy his individuality. It will grad- 
ually, under the daily superintendence of the Christ in him, become 
his own. No human enmity will be able to quench it. He will be 
perfect as His Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5 : 48). 



250 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXIX.— 3>6tts' jFinal Keuclation of <3aH in Dcatl) anB 
Kesttmction Confirms tfre belief of tlje Disciples 

FOURTH Day: Jesus is Arrested by the Unbelieving Priests and 
Rabbis. John 18:1-12 

1. In 1 : 19— 12 : 50 we saw Jesus making a revelation of God's grace 
and truth that divided the nation into those that believed and dis- 
believed with varying grades of intensity. In chapters 13-17 Jesus, 
in the privacy of the inner circle, revealed God's grace and truth with 
great unreserve, and secured an expression of belief from the disciples. 
Now in chapters 18-20 occurs the culminating expression of unbelief 
on the part of Jesus' enemies, who crucify Him; and also the culmi- 
nating manifestation of God's grace and truth, which wins from the 
disciples complete and enthusiastic belief. 

2. Read 18: 1-12 with active imagination. What evidence is there 
here of Jesus' kindliness, especially in His relation to the disciples 
with whom He has just been talking and praying so affectionately ? 
Look the paragraph over for indications that the account comes from 
an eye-witness. Judas appears here as superintending the arrest. 
Two elements were present in the arresting party: the "band" (v. 3), 
that is, a cohort of Roman soldiers with its chiliarch (v. 12), and "offi- 
cers," that is, Jewish officers from the court of the Sanhedrin and the 
temple police. A cohort was regularly about six hundred men. 
Possibly "the" cohort in the barracks was put at the disposal of the 
Sanhedrin, and so large a detachment as was thought necessary was 
despatched on this errand. They evidently anticipated difficulty in 
arresting Jesus. Those who advanced to arrest Him were evidently 
nervous. When He stepped boldly forward perhaps they feared that 
He was enticing them into an ambuscade of His followers. More 
probably if the Jewish officers were at the front they feared that He 
would exercise against them the uncanny power of Beelzebub, by 
which He was supposed to have done His mighty works. In any 
case, they stumbled over each other in a quick retreat for a moment 
(v. 6). Then they gathered courage, seized and bound Him. 

Personal Thought: "The cup which the Father hath given me, shall 
I not drink it?" Any hardship can be endured with readiness and 
steadiness if only it be evidently the will of God, for God is a Father, 
and nothing that can come from the Father can harm us. On the 
contrary, it is wholly good. Suppose that Jesus had dashed the cup 
down and refused to drink it ! 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 251 



Study XXIX.— STesufi* jFinal Eebelation of (Ball in Deatb anB 
K*6tttmtfoii Confirms t&e belief of tfje disciples 

Fifth Day: Jesus Before the High Priest and the Procurator. 
John 18:13-32 

1. John's account of what the Jewish authorities did with Jesus is 
very meagre. The trial and condemnation in the Sanhedrin, of which 
the Synoptic Gospels make so much, he omits entirely. He hints 
at some informal hearing in the palace of Annas, the old ex-high priest. 
Read vv. 12-14, 19-24. What did the high priest suspect Jesus of 
doing ? Why did Jesus resent his question ? 

Read vv. 15-18, 25-27, which contain matter sufficiently considered 
in the study of the Synoptic Gospels. 

2. Read vv. 28-32 with careful attention to all the details. In v. 
28 if the "passover" refers to the paschal lamb, then this Gospel rep- 
resents Jesus to have been crucified before the paschal supper, instead 
of after it as the Synoptic Gospels represent. It is maintained that 
the "passover" refers not to the eating of the paschal lamb, but to a 
celebration which occurred the day after the paschal supper. 

We are to trace the steps in the hearing before the procurator. The 
delegation from the Sanhedrin sends Jesus inside the praetorium to 
the procurator's office, probably in the custody of a soldier who had 
no fear of ceremonial defilement from entering a foreigner's house 
(v. 28). Pilate at once comes out.into the street to inquire what the 
charge against the prisoner is (v. 29). The Sanhedrin delegation 
refuses to specify His crime. They simply state that He is a criminal 
and hope that on the strength of this general statement the procurator 
will, without going into the details, at once authorize Jesus' death and 
let them hurry on with His execution. Pilate, with a Roman scorn for 
Jews that is evident in all this incident, suggests that it might be well 
for them to give Jesus a trial and dispose of Him legally. The dele- 
gation then probably explain that they have tried Jesus and condemned 
Him to death, but lack authority to execute the sentence. They also 
tell Pilate that Jesus is an insurrectionist who pretends to be a king, 
as is evident from v. 33, which will be taken up to-morrow. John 
has said that Jesus expected to be put to death by a Roman cruci- 
fixion rather than by Jewish stoning (v. 32, cf. 12:32-33). 

Personal Thought : Read vv. 15-18. If Peter had only overcome 
His temptation in the beginning, — while he had his friend's support 
and only one to question him, — he would have conquered. 



252 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXIX.— Sfetstts' jFinal delation of (55oU in £)eatl) mH 
Ut&umttian Confirms tlje belief of tlje Disciple 

Sixth Day: Jesus Before the Procurator (continued). John 18: 
33-19:16 

In 18 : 33 there begins a series of remarkable interviews between 
Jesus and Pilate. John has repeatedly brought individuals and groups 
face to face with Jesus and noted the effect. There has been no 
more interesting episode than this one. Read 18:33-19:16 and 
answer as best you can these questions : What did Pilate think of 
Jesus at the beginning of his conversation with Him ? What did He 
think of Him at the close ? What led him to change his opinion ? 
Why did he not do what he felt he ought to do ? 

Personal Thought : Jesus inevitably judged the men who came into 
His presence. No one ever stood long before Him without being 
made more or less distinctly to see himself. Here this morning is 
Pilate, the Roman, with all the imposing prestige of his office, and 
before him is a poor Jew. The Roman has the supporting authority 
of the great nation to which he belongs behind him; the poor Jew has 
behind Him the leaders of His people trying in malignant hatred to 
crowd Him into the jaws of death. And yet the two men do not face 
each other long before Pilate begins to feel what he never realized 
before, that he is a weak coward, and that his brave words about 
"power" to release and "power" to crucify are only a confession of 
cowardice. Jesus secured this result by the power of His personality, 
and not by the prestige of his office It was not the procurator before 
the Messiah; it was Pilate before Jesus. Jesus can bring surely to 
the surface your inmost sin, and can with equal certainty remove it 
if you yield yourself to Him. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ i$2 



Study XXIX.— Setts' jFtnal Etcnelatton of (Sou in 3Deat& anU 
Kesttrmtion Confirms tljc belief of tlje iDtsctples 

Seventh Day: Jesus Before the Procurator (concluded). John 
18:33-19:16 

Consider in detail these interviews between Pilate and Jesus. Read 
vv. 33-40. When Pilate had learned from the priests and rabbis in 
the street that Jesus pretended to be a king, he took Jesus into his 
official chamber and with something of judicial severity and Roman 
contempt said to Him : " Do you pretend to be a king of the Jewish 
people?" Jesus could not answer this question directly. He was, 
and He was not, a king. He was a king in the best Messianic sense, 
but He was not a king who sought the political overthrow of the Caesars' 
empire. So He replied: "Are you asking this question because you 
seriously suspect me of trying to organize and lead a revolt from the 
Caesars' control ? Or has it simply been reported to you by my country- 
men that I regard myself as a Messianic king ? Can I have from you 
a fair independent investigation of the facts, or shall you render your 
judgment simply on the basis of what the priests and rabbis report?" 
In this first question Jesus probes for Pilate's weak point. Will Pilate 
dare to be fair? Pilate replies in impatience: "Do you take me for 
a Jew ? Do you suppose that I concern myself with your petty in- 
trigues and distinctions ? Your own people have brought you here to 
be sentenced to death. What I want to know is what you have done." 
Jesus says : " I will answer your question. I am, and I am not, a king. 
I have a kingdom, but it is not won by force of arms. You can easily 
see that this is so, for I and my followers have never gathered arms 
nor fought with our enemies." Pilate, either with amused interest, 
or with a desire to push Jesus to an unequivocal statement that might 
serve as a basis for an official decision, says: "You really do regard 
yourself as a king then ?" Jesus replies: "You may call me a king 
if you like. My mission in the world is to call attention to what is 
true." Pilate says: "Who knows what truth is? That is an idle 
question that philosophers discuss." Pilate concludes that Jesus is a 
fanatical but harmless doctrinaire, who has become interested in 
philosophical speculations regarding truth, and suggests to the dele- 
gation in the street that they accept His release as their annual Pass- 
over gift. They reply that they have already selected another prisoner. 

Read 19:1-6. Pilate, having secured in Jesus' acknowledgment 
that He is a king, technical ground for endorsing the sentence, seems 



254 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



inclined to proceed, has Jesus scourged and leaves Him for a time to be 
the sport of the soldiers. Pilate goes out to the street and announces 
that he has found nothing criminal in the man, and that He will give 
Him back to them. He then has Jesus brought out, thorn-crowned, 
scourged, wearing an old cloak of royal color. He hopes that what 
he has had done to Jesus will satisfy them. But instantly the priests 
and officials, maddened by the sight, yell "Crucify! Crucify!" Pilate 
says if they wish to crucify Him they will have to do it without official 
endorsement. It would have been hazardous for the Jews to have 
acted upon this suggestion, and even if Pilate had overlooked the 
illegality of such action, it would always have been possible for Jesus' 
followers to say that a great prophet had been illegally put to death as 
spite work. Nothing would answer except a formal legal execution. 
The Jews therefore presented a new phase of the case. They say to 
Pilate that Jesus, by calling Himself the Son of God, has clearly trans- 
gressed a definite law against blasphemy, and that Pilate is legally 
bound as procurator to give effect to this law by signing Jesus' death- 
warrant. Read v. 7. This statement startles Pilate, and leads to 
another examination of Jesus. Read vv. 8-9. Pilate, gruff and 
contemptuous, and feeling that there is something uncanny about 
Jesus, says : " Fellow, where do you come from ? What is your his- 
tory ? Have you anything to do with the gods?" Pilate is super- 
stitious after all! Jesus, who can make no reply intelligible to Pilate, 
maintains a dignified silence. Pilate says: "Do you not answer me? 
Do you not know that you are wholly in my power ?" Jesus replies : 
"I am not at all in your power. A higher than human power, that 
could deliver me if it were best, has placed me in the present situation. 
You must decide what you will do with me, but you are not as guilty 
as the priest who has forced this situation upon you. Read vv. 10-16. 
This impresses Pilate, and he tries earnestly to have Jesus released. 
The hard, shrewd priests, however, frighten him by hinting that they 
will report him to Rome. It is with angry sarcasm that he says: 
"Look at your king! Shall I crucify your king ?" The priests reply 
with keener sarcasm: "We have no king but Caesar." Pilate yields 
and the episode is over. 

Personal Thought : Pilate's reason for letting Jesus be crucified 
was the same that explains the conduct of the priests and rabbis : he 
was afraid that he would lose his place if he spared Jesus. Human 
selfishness crucified Jesus. In the crucifixion of Jesus every selfish 
man has a chance to see what highly developed selfishness really is. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 155 



Study XXX.— ^tmz' iFinal delation of (Soft in Deatb anil 
Keesurmtton Confirms the belief of the ^Disciples (Continued) 

FlRST Day: The Crucifixion. John 19:17-42 

In vv. 13-14 John solemnly gives the place, day, and hour of Jesus' 
final sentence. He gives the hour as twelve o'clock, while Mark 15 : 25 
gives nine o'clock as the hour of the crucifixion. As is often said, 
watches were not in use and time was very inaccurately indicated. 
Time half-way between nine and twelve o'clock might have been 
called either. It is significant, however, that although the author 
of this Gospel seems to be acquainted with the Synoptic Gospels, he 
does not shrink from the appearance of correcting them, which is a 
reason for attributing the Gospel to an apostle. 

Read vv. 16-30 with careful and reverent attention to all the details, 
and answer these questions : What evidence is there here as to what 
Jesus was thinking about on the cross ? Especially what is the mean- 
ing of His words in v. 30 ? What evidence is there that the account 
comes from an eye-witness ? Describe the frame of mind in which 
Pilate dictated the inscription for the tablet at the head of the cross, 
and in which he made the reply recorded in v. 22. Read vv. 31-37. 
The hideousness of doing all this in the name of religion comes dra- 
matically out in v. 31. The circumstance in v. 34 seems to the author 
to be one of great significance (v. 35), though just why it seems so to 
him is not clear. If we knew all that was being said among the 
author's heretical contemporaries, in view of whom the Gospel was 
written, we might understand it better. The motive of the soldier 
was to make sure that Jesus was dead, and perhaps John is also con- 
cerned to cite the phenomenon as evidence that Jesus really died. 
Modern physiologists have said that the phenomenon is evidence that 
Jesus' heart had been ruptured, and assert that such rupture is caused 
by extreme mental distress. If this be so, it is of importance in the 
effort to determine what really killed Jesus and the significance of His 
death, which is a topic for later study in the "Teaching of Jesus and 
His Apostles." Read once more vv. 38-42. 

Personal Thought: "I thirst." The supreme revelation of God 
crying out in helplessness for that which, next to air, is most abundant 
and most necessary to human life ! Yet in this situation is seen the 
glory of our religion. Ours is a Fatherly God who in seeking, suffer- 
ing love goes even to the uttermost of self-sacrifice for His lost children. 



2$6 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXX.— 3NttB' final Eeoelation of (0oU in £)tath anti 

Eeeurrcction Confirms tlje belief of tlje Dteciplwi (Continued) 

Second Day: The Resurrection. John 20:1-18 

In the early morning of the second day after the execution of Jesus, 
one of the women brought painful news to the house where Peter, 
John, and Jesus' mother (cf. 19:27) were lodging. The grave of 
Jesus had been robbed, and His enemies probably proposed to sub- 
ject the body to indignities. Peter and John instantly ran to the 
tomb. They found the grave clothes in such perfect order as to for- 
bid the theory of grave robbery, and John reached the bold conclusion 
that there had been a resurrection. Read John 20 : 1-10. What 
evidence is there that this account comes from an eye-witness ? 

It would seem that as soon as Mary Magdalene came near enough 
to the tomb to see that the stone was rolled away, she left the group 
of women who, according to the Synoptic Gospels, had started for 
the grave (Mark 16: 1), and hurried back to tell the disciples that 
the grave had been robbed. She did not, therefore, receive the message 
given by the angel to the other women who went on (Mark 16: 5-6). 
She came back again to the tomb after the other women had left it, 
and also after Peter and John had gone away. The death of Jesus 
had been a great personal grief to her. She had been a peculiarly 
violent demoniac, and Jesus had restored her reason (Mark 16:9). 
Read 20 : 1 1-18. The sight of one who, seen through her tears, seemed 
perhaps to be the rich man's gardener suggested that possibly the 
grave had not been robbed (v. 15). One word, perhaps the one by 
which she had been called back from awful mental ruin to orderly self- 
consciousness, revealed Jesus to her (v. 16). She fell at His feet, but 
He forbade her to touch Him. The old time relationships of the flesh 
and blood existence could not be resumed, and there had not yet oc- 
curred the ascension to the Father which would make intimate spiritual 
fellowship possible (v. 17). What does the last half of v. 17 show 
regarding the feeling of Jesus about His disciples ? 

Personal Thought: "Mary was standing at the tomb weeping." 
To us who look on from the outside, the sight of this woman weeping 
bitterly at the grave, unconscious of the fact that all the air about her 
is tremulous with the joy and glory of the resurrection, is peculiarly pa- 
thetic. Perhaps we shall one day so realize the facts of the spiritual 
world as to have our sorrow for the dead not simply mitigated, as it 
now is, but really turned to joy. 



Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 257 



Study XXX.— festts' final Hebtlatton of (Ball in £)eat!) anti 
Eesnrrectton ©anftrmes tlje belief a£ tlje Disciples (Concluded) 

Third Day: The Resurrection (concluded). John 20:19-31 

Read John 20: 19-29. What were the disciples afraid of (v. 19) ? 
The last clause in v. 21 sheds light on the last part of v. 17. Jesus, 
who has in chapters 13-17 proposed to share all things with His dis- 
ciples, now proposes to share with them His mission. This is in accord 
with 17:26. He had been sent to reveal God to men, and now the 
disciples, upon the smaller scale of his personality, are to do the same. 
There is being slowly developed in the world a great body of Christ, 
that shall reveal and express the love of God to man. The church 
of Christ will go mercifully into all the dark places of the earth 
and perpetuate the activity of its Lord. This truth comes out in 
more startling form in v. 23. The meaning seems to be that the 
body of Christ's disciples in the world, possessed by the Holy Spirit, 
will lead men to repentance and forgiveness as Jesus has been doing. 
When this body is fully developed and possessed by the Spirit of God, 
its moral standards and judgments will be those of Jesus Christ Him- 
self. Failure to conform to them will be condemnation. This, of 
course, has not yet taken place. There is given here, as in the profound, 
far-reaching discourse of chapters 13-17 (e. g. 17 : 22), an ideal towards 
which progress is being made. 

Make a brief analysis of the character of Thomas on the basis of 
the material afforded by John 11:16; 14 : 5; 20:24-29. In v. 28 
the climax of belief is reached in John's presentation. The last 
member of the inner circle is brought to the fulness of faith. He 
finally sees in Jesus what Jesus has so long been conscious of being. 
Jesus is such a revelation of God to him that he can only say with all 
the devotion of his plain, honest heart, "My Lord and my God !" 
Is it likely that in v. 29 Jesus had some special persons in view who 
at the time of speaking had believed without having seen Him ? How 
is what John has written calculated to make his readers continue to 
believe in Jesus Christ (v. 31) ? 

Personal Thought: "Life in His name" (v. 31). Life implies 
growth. Growth, then, comes from being "in His name," that is, 
from being in close fellowship with His personality. What we shall 
grow into we can only reverently and gratefully surmise as we read 
such words as vv. 21-23. 



258 Studies in the Life of Jesus Christ 



Study XXX.— ®he 8ppentlij; 

Fourth Day: Another Appearance of Jesus After the Resurrec- 
tion. John 21 

The Gospel comes to its logical close at the end of chapter 20. 
Chapter 21 is an appendix describing another interesting appearance 
of Jesus to His disciples, famous because of the remark made in it 
by Jesus, which had been wrongly interpreted by many to mean that 
the disciple whom Jesus loved would not die. Read the chapter. 
Vv. 24-25 seem to have been added by someone in the circle of the 
author's friends. What traits of Jesus' character that have been up- 
permost throughout the Gospel appear also in this appendix ? 

Personal Thought : "Simon, son of John, lovest thou me ? . . . 
Tend my sheep." Mental states that do not result in action are not 
wholesome. All the intensity of our devotion to Jesus Christ is to 
express itself in action directed to securing the welfare of our fellow- 
men. 



Study XXX.— C&e jFtnal Realms of Sofjn's (Battptl 
Fifth Day: John 1-7 

The next three days are to be devoted to a rapid review reading of the 
Gospel of John. After the detailed study of the past few weeks it 
will be interesting once more to look at the Gospel as a whole. The 
Gospel can be read through in about an hour and a quarter. To-day 
read chapters 1-7. 

Personal Thought : 

" Let me live in a house by the side of the road, 
Where the race of men go by — 
The men who are good and the men who are bad, 

As good and as bad as I. 
I would not sit in the scorner's seat, 

Or hurl the cynic's ban; — 
Let me live in a house by the side of the road 
And be a friend to man." 

Foss, The House by the Side of the Road. 



Studi'es in the Life of Jesus Christ 259 



Study XXX.— 9C^e final Erasing; of ^obit's Gospel (Continued) 

Sixth Day: John 8-13 

Read to-day chapters 8-13. 
Personal Thought : 

" For life, with all it yields of joy and woe, 

And hope and fear, — believe the aged friend, — 
Is just our chance o' the prize of learning love, 
How love might be, hath been indeed, and is; 
And that we hold henceforth to the uttermost 
Such prize despite the envy of the world, 
And, having gained truth, keep truth : that is all." 

Browning, A Death in the Desert. 



Study XXX.— Cpe final Eeatotng: of foljn's (Gospel (Concluded) 

Seventh Day: John 14-21 

Read to-day chapters 14-21. 
Personal Thought : 

" I say, the acknowledgment of God in Christ 
Accepted by thy reason, solves for thee 
All questions in the earth and out of it, 
And has so far advanced thee to be wise." 

Browning, A Death In the Desert. 

"Christ liveth in me, and that life which I now live in the flesh 
I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me and 
gave Himself up forme." — Paul, Letter to the Galatians. 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: July 2005 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township. PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 226 786 A 4 



1B8BH 
WMaBBBBBi 



WP 8 



